ESU student receives Worker of the Year Award

Imagine being a wife, mother, grandmother, full-time college student and working 70-plus hours per week.

This is the life of ESU student Carman Allen, the life that led her to be named the 2004 Kansas Worker of the Year in the Dickie's American Worker of the Year Program. One national and 50 state winners were chosen.

At age 47, Carman, a paramedic for 10 years, from Bushong, was nominated for the award by her husband of two years.

In his winning essay, James Allen, wrote, "She works 70-plus hours per week teaching others how to save lives and educating others to teach interested parties to save lives. On top of all this Carman is a full-time college student, working to earn her first bachelor's degree and serves as volunteer on two state emergency medical task forces."

"She is the hardest working person I know," James Allen said. "She is definitely deserving of the award. She is always busy, working on school work or preparing something for her students."

He added, "People do not see the hours and extra hours she puts into preparing for her students, as well as working hard to finish her degree."

Allen is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in integrated studies and will graduate Saturday, Dec. 18.

As a non-traditional student and working excessive hours, Allen said she has struggled at times, but, has looked forward to graduation for quite sometime. Allen, who has volunteered as a paramedic for ten years in Emporia and Lyon County , teaches in a paramedic program at Flint Hills Technical College , and another in Topeka .

"I have gained knowledge at ESU that has been beneficial to me in my teaching," she said. "ESU's classes have helped me develop lifelong learning skills that I use everyday as I teach others how to save lives."

Brett Samuels a current student of Allen's, said, "She is very passionate about her work. She uses practical experiences that prepare you for work outside of the classroom and that prepare you for the real world."

Allen said some of her motivation to continue her education is the result of the learning and experiences she gained at ESU. In January, she will continue her educational goals by pursing a master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology.

"The IDT program is related to what I do," Allen said. "I have found out that with all the new technology, I can develop my programs and courses on-line. IDT will give me the knowledge and capabilities that I need to effectively to do this."

"I decided to become a paramedic when my mother-in-law became ill with Lou Gehrig's disease," she said. "I felt compelled to learn how to take care of her."

Allen said, although she was not able to provide as much care as she would have liked, it just made sense to continue. "After I got involved in EMS , I loved what I did and it is the most rewarding thing I ever did in my life," she said.

"I have had some rewarding experiences as a paramedic," she said. "There are people alive today, because I was there when they needed me and that makes me feel good."

Allen can vividly recall when she assisted in a car accident of a 16-year-old-girl. "I remember her telling my, just let me die, just let me die," she said. "This little girl had massive injuries and I was able to help her. If I had not been there, she probably would not have survived."

For this life-saving act, Allen was flown to the Maury Povich show in New York and honored as a "hero mom," by the young girl's life she saved.

Allen said she plans to remain in her career in paramedics and EMS , as long as she can. "When you save somebody's life, it makes it all worthwhile."

 

 

Last Updated July 2, 2007>