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Many students hope to use their classroom skills after graduation. However, Madison Cagle, a Meridian Health Careers student, made a difference sooner than she expected.

Cagle and her friends were out for food, enjoying the weekend. In an instant, everything changed. As they laughed about hitting a bump in the road, she noticed that something was wrong.

"At first, I thought she was just laughing,” Cagle said, “but then I noticed nothing was coming out. Her mouth was open, but she wasn't making a sound. That's when I realized she wasn't responding."

Cagle recognized that her friend was choking and jumped into action quickly to help her.

"I didn't even think about it. I just reacted,” Cagle said. “If it hadn't worked, then I would've been really scared. But in that moment, I just did it."

Thanks to her training and quick thinking, Cagle allowed her to spring into action to help her friend.

"We didn't think much about it until we told Mr. Jones," Cagle said. "Mr. Jones and Mrs. Bolay were both really happy that I reacted the way I did. My classmates thought it was crazy that it happened at all."

Real-World Skills

Meridian's Health Careers program prepares students for real medical emergencies. Cagle's actions are a powerful example of the life-saving skills students gain at Tech.

Doug Jones, a Health Careers instructor at Meridian, emphasized how this moment reinforces the importance of emergency training.

"You never know when you’re going to need these skills,” Jones said. “Emergencies don’t wait for the ‘right’ moment. You have to be ready. That’s why we focus so much on hands-on training and staying current with industry standards."

Cagle is currently enrolled in the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant class with instructor Anita Bolay, who wasn’t surprised to hear how her student reacted.

"I was so grateful that she was there and that she knew exactly how to react,” Bolay said. “She didn’t panic. She recognized that this was a real emergency and immediately took action."

Life-Saving Training

Health Careers students at Meridian gain hands-on training in patient care, medical procedures and emergency response. Cagle’s attentiveness and determination in class are qualities her instructors say will serve her well in a healthcare career.

“Madison has a strong foundation in soft skills like communication, teamwork and professionalism,” Jones said. “She’s already ahead of some of her peers because of that."

This experience has only reaffirmed Cagle's passion for healthcare, "this situation made me realize that what I'm learning is real. I'm actually part of the healthcare world now. It made me feel like, 'Wow, I've actually done this.' A lot of people never get that kind of experience."

All Health Careers students at Meridian complete CPR training at the beginning of the school year. In addition, the school offers several CPR and First Aid classes each semester, which are open to anyone in the community.

"What we teach here is life-saving,” Jones said. “You never know when a situation like that will present itself. Every time I’ve had to perform CPR in my career, it was never planned. That’s why being prepared is so important."

Cagle's story proves that knowledge isn't just about learning. It's about using it when it matters most.

To learn about Meridian's Health Careers program, visit meridiantech.edu/full-time-programs.