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Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

A Call to Serve Others: 2018 Alumna Shares EMT Experience

In a call to action to serve others, Class of 2018 alumna Alexa Cornacchia has joined Nelson Ambulance in North Haven as an emergency medical technician.

Alexa became interested in pursuing a career in the medical field when she was a student at Hamden Hall. During her junior year, her father was diagnosed with Stage 4 renal failure and ultimately received a kidney transplant from her older sister to save his life. The experience sparked her interest in medicine noting that “it was amazing to see the capability of organ donation firsthand as well as the compassionate care my father received from the doctors, nurses, and aides.”

As an EMT, Alexa’s day-to-day duties include both non-emergency and emergency calls. Non-emergency calls consist of transfers from hospital to hospital, hospital to nursing home, or hospital to residence. On the other hand, emergency calls consist of 911 calls whereby an individual urgently needs medical attention.

“I definitely take pride in being an EMT,” said Alexa. “Without a doubt, the most rewarding part of my job is seeing the difference we make firsthand in the lives of many patients. Whether it is a 911 call or a transfer, we are helping those who need it. On transfers specifically, I love meeting new patients each day and learning a bit about their life story.”

Alexa reflected on her time at Hamden Hall and commented that the school certainly prepared her for college and future endeavors. She noted that while pursuing her undergraduate degree, she utilized her communication skills, time management, and team-work skills initially developed at Hamden Hall in both the classroom and on the field as a student-athlete. She said her favorite memory is the senior class trip to Disney World as it was the best way to end her high school career with her friends.

As Alexa gains more experience as an EMT, she encourages people to understand the importance and commitment of those in the medical field.

“I think it is important for people to understand the high stress and physical demands of EMT’s,” said Alexa. “EMS is an extremely busy field, and we are responsible for lifting and moving patients all day. Also, a funny thing that many don’t realize is that all EMT’s must drive the ambulance. You and your partner take turns driving and providing patient care in the back.”

Alexa graduated from Union College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and plans to attend Physician Assistant School in a couple of years.
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