TSC alumnus helps in battle against COVID-19

Texas Southmost College alumnus Cesar Cepeda followed his father’s footsteps to become a first responder. The 2015 TSC Emergency Medical Science graduate is a pump operator and paramedic with the City of Brownsville Fire Department.

On the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, Texas Southmost College alumnus Cesar Cepeda finds himself in the fight against a pandemic while still doing a job he loves.

The 25-year-old is a pump operator and paramedic with the City of Brownsville Fire Department, where he has grown his career in the last five years.

“I grew up wanting to be a part of the medical field,” said the Brownsville native. “I just wasn’t sure in what capacity, but watching my dad’s career over the past 20 years led me to become a first responder.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, who worked with the fire department for two decades, Cepeda found pre-hospital care to be his calling.

“This field is amazing,” said Cepeda. “The feeling you get when you save a life and make a difference is like none other.”

But little did the 2015 TSC Emergency Medical Science graduate know that his experience and skills would be so pivotal during such a defining moment in the country’s history.

“It’s surreal,” he said. “COVID-19 has changed the way we do things in terms of safety. We take extra precautions for ourselves bringing in the necessity for extra personal protective equipment, but the way we take care of and treat our patients will never change. We focus on taking care of ourselves so we can keep taking care of our patients.”

Cepeda, like so many other essential workers, has stopped visiting his family and friends, quarantining himself to his house when not working to better protect those he cares for and a community he loves.

He added that although it’s difficult to be fully prepared for something like this, he feels that the training he received at TSC gave him the tools needed to get through any situation.

“TSC’s paramedic program really drilled in us the skills needed to handle critical- care calls,” said Cepeda. “If we could handle critical-care patients, then we could handle anything. And the training we got focused on that and gave me the confidence I needed when I entered the field.”

To this day he said he knows TSC’s paramedic program is still producing solid medics because he continuously sees the quality of skills students, who complete rotations at their station, possess.

He credits TSC for changing his life by helping him obtain the skills he needs to lead, what he calls, an amazing career. His education provided him a great paying career to build a successful life and opportunities for growth.

Within the last few years, Cepeda has earned promotions within the fire department going from fire fighter/paramedic, to his most recent position. He is also in line for two more promotions in the next couple of years, beginning with lieutenant.

“None of this would have been possible without the training and support I received from TSC,” he said. “I highly recommend this program to anyone looking at entering this profession, not only because the instruction and training are top-notch, but because it can change your life.”

For more information on TSC’s Emergency Medical Science program, visit tsc.edu.

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