Campus News

May 19th, 2026

Kitzmiller: Fate drove paramedic grads

'We were meant to be here' valedictorian tells her fellow students

Ashley Kitzmiller, valedictorian of Garrett College’s Paramedic Class of 2026, doesn’t believe in chance.

None of us are here by accident,” Kitzmiller told her classmates, as well as the Class of 2025 hybrid format graduates who were also being honored last Tuesday night. “We were meant to be here before we knew it. This is a calling that we couldn’t ignore.”

“It took a community to get us all here today,” said 2025 hybrid class valedictorian Alexandria Curry, who found out she was pregnant two weeks after being accepted into the program. Curry thanked family and friends who supported her through her personal journey through the program.

Mahlon Peachey, salutatorian of the Class of 2026, said completing the program required all of the students to give more than they thought they could.

“There were moments when just getting by seemed like a real goal,” said Peachey, who thanked Lead Instructor Josh Hook “for pushing us when we were stressed, exhausted, and just wanted to give up.”

Thirteen students were honored, 11 from the Class of 2026 and two from the 2025 hybrid program.

Clinical Coordinator Steve Adams noted the demanding requirements of the program, including “575 instructional hours . . . and a minimum of 480 clinical hours across multiple clinical settings.” Adams said the students being honored combined to serve on 749 emergency calls and had over 3,200 patient interactions.

Dr. Janelle Martin, the program’s medical director, issued two challenges to the graduating classes.

“First, go save lives – that’s what we’re here for,” said Martin. “Second, always be respectful and never lose the compassion you have for your patients.”

James Koon, the program director, had similar advice for the graduates, telling them to “cultivate your hearts to become healers.”

The graduates honored were:

Paramedic Certificate Class #22 (Class of 2025): Alexandria Curry and Connor Woodring.

Paramedic Certificate Class #23 (Class of 2026): Sadie Bennett, Kaitlyn Derham, Nicholas Green, Justin Hogue, Allison Kamauf, Ashley Kitzmiller, Vanessa Mongold, Mahlon Peachey, Rodney Ryan, Kylie Tull, and Justin White.