Meet the October 2020 Student of the Month
VIRTUAL STUDENT: NICHOLAS LARMER
Originally from Dodge City, Kansas, Nicholas Larmer is the October Student of the Month. After transferring from Barton County Community College (BCCC), Nick is in his second year at Fort Hays and is working towards a Bachelor's degree in Technology Leadership with an emphasis on Technical Education. He aims to lead the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) program at BCCC. In Nick's community, he is a professional paramedic and firefighter and provides Emergency Medical Services to everybody in Ford County. Not only is this his career, but he also enjoys teaching others about EMS when he isn't on the job. On his days off, he teaches EMT courses at BCCC and coordinates free EMS conferences through Ford County Fire and EMS. Although it looked different this year due to COVID-19, this conference helps provide others with valuable EMS information from local experts.
Nick has also created his own YouTube channel, blog, and podcast and uses various social media platforms to share his knowledge on EMS ethics, practices, and leadership. You may find him riding his bike around Dodge City when he isn't creating through these outlets. His all-time favorite activity is spending time with his wife, who is expecting their first child. His wife constantly influences and challenges Nick to create, grow, and share his knowledge with others. When asked why he became involved in Leadership Studies, Nick said, "to say I chose Leadership Programs would almost be a lie; Leadership Programs chose me. We don't choose our mentors; our mentors choose us." Although he is not always in the spotlight, Nick feels he has always been in some leadership position. Leaders are everywhere creating change, even behind the scenes. Nick's father was the first to instill the value of leadership in him and demonstrated every day the importance of it, especially when he stepped into the role of Scoutmaster of Nick's Boy Scout Troop. Because of this, leadership has always been integrated into Nick's life in one way or another, and he is constantly using what he has learned through Leadership Studies in his day-to-day life and profession. Thus far, Nick's favorite course has been Leadership and Team Dynamics, taught by Dr. Lori Kniffin. Dr. Kniffin has created an environment that allows Nick to develop videos for discussion boards, instead of typing, for example. "She understands the individual's needs and cooperates with different learning styles." Nick always looks forward to the leadership courses he takes each semester and appreciates all the knowledge, experience, and encouragement he has gained from Leadership Programs. Congratulations, Nick!