Tierney Munday is majoring in emergency medical service here at Sinclair because she is passionate about working in the service field. She has always wanted to serve and improve the community, and she hopes to one day reflect upon the difference she made.
“I feel like it’s pretty much a humanitarian job. I really consider myself a humanitarian,” said Munday. “I just really want to help my community. I want to be a part of making it a better place.”
Munday considers herself both an aspiring emergency medical technician and also a hard working mother. Munday is a mother of a six-year-old daughter, Mikyla and a three year old son ,Carmine. She tries to live her life leading by example for her children. Munday wants her children to observe her studying so that they understand the value of working hard. Sometimes Munday shows her books to her children and explains to them what she is learning.
According to Munday, life is not all about money. She wishes to instill this value in her children. She teaches them to be generous.
“I want them to be more like givers. I want them to grow up having that giving mentality–what can they do? It’s not all about ‘what can I get, what can I take?’ I want them to grow up thinking, ‘what can I give?’” said Munday.
Munday and her children spend time together, often crafting. Munday said her favorite thing to do is improve the interior design of her house. She likes everything from decorating a room to taking on a home improvement project.
“I’m just really like a homebody,” said Munday.
She encourages her children to create pieces of artwork which decorate the house.
Hiking is another activity Munday and her children do together. They often go to Charleston Falls and Clifton Mills. Munday also dreams of exploring and doing “solo vacations,” meaning that she wishes to travel alone.
“I’m not really afraid of solitude,” she said.
Munday has tentative plans to travel this July.
Munday is a server at the Texas Roadhouse in Huber Heights. She enjoys the company of her coworkers and she likes the fast pace of the restaurant business.
“I like being under pressure. I like thriving under pressure,” explains Munday.
She said this ability to thrive under pressure will help her succeed in the emergency medical service field.
Munday stresses the importance of a supportive, meaningful network of people around her. Sometimes she questions herself, thinking things like “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can get through it,” but she can quickly turn those thoughts around with the help of the encouragement of her instructors.
The emergency medical technician program makes Munday feel that she has turned into a whole new person with a new meaning in life. Munday said that the very realistic prospect of becoming an emergency medical technician gives her the meaningful life fulfillment she has been seeking for years.
Munday changed her major a number of times. She values and appreciates the emergency medical service program the most.
“I’m so thankful I finally found my niche,” she said.
As words of encouragement to other students, Munday offered:
“Don’t give up. It doesn’t matter if you changed your major two or three or four times, there’s going to be that perfect program out there, and you’ll know it when it comes.” Munday reflected upon her decision to work toward the emergency medical technician certification by stating that “It’s pretty much been life changing for me, to be a part of this.”
Munday rated the emergency medical service program as outstanding. She reported that the professors are caring, encouraging, dedicated and flexible.
“The EMS office, they’re just so supportive. They’re really amazing. I definitely want to give them a shout out because they really care,” said Munday. “The teachers at Sinclair, it’s like they’re true teachers. They’re not just talking to you, telling you information, they’re truly trying to get you to comprehend everything.”
Munday said that she does not want to be an emergency medical technician because of the salary.
“I’m doing this for the meaningfulness of it,” she said. “I’m doing this so I can sleep better at night.”
Munday takes this job seriously and said that in order to be an effective emergency medical technician, one must truly care about people.
Munday stated that she does not let her children become an excuse for why she can’t, but rather views it as being “almost more imperative to make it happen.” It is important to Munday to be a good role model for her children by keeping a positive mindframe, keeping herself surrounded with positive people and staying involved in positive activities.
As if Munday did not already have a full plate, she also volunteers at the local Dayton program, Dayton Crayons to Classrooms. Munday hopes to soon volunteer at Dayton Children’s Medical Center, the Red Cross, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton and SICSA.
Munday’s love of animals extends to her own dog, who is half pit-bull and half American bulldog. She thinks that people give pit bulls a bad reputation and says, “I have a huge soft spot in my heart for pit bulls.”
Munday is feeling confident about her studies.
“The end of the class is approaching and I feel like I’ve got my game face on,” said Munday. “I’m just ready to knock this out and I’m ready to have this accomplishment under my belt.”
Munday expects to graduate with her emergency medical technician certificate this May.
Maggie Stacey
Reporter