(above, l-r) Jessica Moran, Allie Deegan, and Kristen Splaine
Berkeley Heights Cadet and College Rescue Squad Members Awarded Scholarship
Every year the Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad awards scholarships to outstanding cadet and college members who demonstrate exceptional service and volunteerism in the community. The rescue squad is pleased to announce that the scholarship recipients for 2019 are Jessica Moran (cadet member) and Kristen Splaine (college member).
Jess has been a member of the rescue squad since April 2018. A few months later she took the intiative to enroll in EMT school and became the first and only cadet to receive her EMT certification that year. That fall she also became Co-Cadet Captain of the BHVRS.
Outside of EMS, Jess has a passion for leading others at her high school, the Academy for Allied Health Sciences (AAHS) in Scotch Plains, NJ where she serves as Class President. Jess is a member of numerous honors societies and clubs, and she has received countless awards and honors. To highlight one, Jess is highly involved in her school’s chapter of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), and last summer, Jess received first place at the International conference in Dallas, TX for Creative Problem Solving. Most recently, she was named Salutatorian of her graduating class.
To further pursue her passion for health care, Jess is an intern at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUHR) in Rahway where she rotates through various departments in the hospital. During the summer of 2019, she will also complete an internship with NJ Assemblyman Jon Bramnick where she plans to learn valuable business and communication skills. She aspires to become a physician and later move to the management department of a hospital. Jess will attend Seton Hall University in the fall for a 7-year Joint BS/MD medical program, business management degree from the Stillman School of Business, and the Buccino Leadership Institute, a highly selective, certificate leadership program within the business school.
“Jess is always the first one to step up and take on extra responsibility. She is a team player and always goes above and beyond for the community. She found a passion in medicine while being a member of the squad and has flourished,” says Allie Deegan, EMT, Deputy Chief of the BHVRS.
Kristen has been a member of BHVRS since the summer of 2017. She joined the rescue squad as a rising sophomore at the University of Connecticut where she is majoring in Allied Health Sciences with a minor in Biology. After being a part of the rescue squad for only a year, Kristen was promoted to a regular member. Kristen is currently an intern at BHVRS for the summer, which includes being on call twice a week and extra weekend shifts to ensure the rescue squad can provide full coverage to the town of Berkeley Heights.
Outside of EMS, Kristen excels in her studies and has been recognized as being on the Dean’s List every semester she has attended thus far for her academic achievements. Kristen also spends her time as a research assistant with the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at UConn, which focuses on human performance and wearable technology for athletes. KSI has worked in conjunction with numerous other organizations on research projects in the past that Kristen has assisted on, such as the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and CamelBak. She also just finished a year on the executive board for her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega as the Vice President of Recruitment Information. Kristen is now entering her senior year of college and applying to graduate schools to start her journey of becoming a Physician’s Assistant.
“Kristen is a knowledgeable and compassionate EMT and an exceptional crew member. While interacting with patients, we get to see the compassionate and empathetic side of Kristen. She is an incredibly caring person and really knows how to make people comfortable. While Kristen normally works her shifts with me, other members are always pleased to work with her and cannot compliment her enough,” says Allie Deegan, EMT, Deputy Chief of the BHVRS.
Submitted by Carolyn Sayre
