Respiratory Care Students Donate Books to First-year Students
By GARY STALLARD
AC News Service
Any health careers progam in college is going to be challenging enough by design, but attempting to navigate such courses as Anatomy and Physiology without the required textbooks could create bigger problems than any a student might see on an exam.
Because of a publishing issue, incoming students enrolled in Angelina College’s Respiratory Care Program dove headfirst into their new course without the benefit of the necessary books. Even the instructors were scrambling to find a solution.
But when some of the second-year students learned of the predicament, they stepped in to ride to the rescue.
“The first-year students were not scheduled to receive their Anatomy and Physiology textbooks until mid-September, and that could have put them in a bind,” Jennifer Martin, Respiratory Care Director/Clinical Education at AC, said. “But our second-year students got together on their own and agreed to lend their books, including their lab books, from last year.
“Those second-year students found out about the situation, and they went home the same day just to get those books for the new group.”
The second-year students showed up to deliver the books themselves, ensuring their successors would have everything they needed to succeed.
Mary Jones, Respiratory Care Director, said those students’ actions fit perfectly for their chosen profession.
“Health care is all about acts of service, and these students just proved they’re ready and willing to provide such acts,” Jones said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.”
AC’s Respiratory Care program is a hands-on, two-year program designed to “provide skills for direct patient contact with treating breathing issues. Students can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in Respiratory Care and qualify to take both the entry-level Certified Respiratory Therapist and advanced Registered Respiratory Therapist examinations. This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.”
For further information regarding the Angelina College Respiratory Care Program, contact Jennifer Martin at jmartin@angelina.edu or Mary Jennifer Jones at majones@angelina.edu.
Photo captions:
Angelina College Respiratory Care students Alexandra Garcia (left) and Hunter Holt go over class materials during a recent session. When a publishing issue threatened to delay delivery of the necessary textbooks for first-year students, the program’s second-year students donated their books to the incoming class. (Gary Stallard photo for AC News Service)
Group photo:
First- and second-year students, along with instructors, of Angelina College’s Respiratory Care Program pose during a break from a recent class. When a publishing issued threatened to delay delivery of necessary textbooks to the new group, students from the second-year class donated their own books to ensure their successors would have every chance to succeed. (Gary Stallard photo for AC News Service)