Nicole Seybold, 2004 Scarlet Oaks Firefighting/Emergency Medical Service alumna, has always wanted to be a firefighter. “I knew I wanted to get into Scarlet’s program, and I knew it was going to be a lot more work than everyone typically thinks,” she said. Seybold pushed herself on a professional and academic basis while she was in high school. “The Scarlet environment was a lot like a real firehouse– and it gave me a solid medical background and other job skills I needed to move forward,” she explained.
Seybold graduated at the top of her class, scoring a 4.0 in her coursework and an Ohio Board of Regents scholarship. In addition to Firefighter Level I and II and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certifications, Seybold also obtained hazardous materials, rope rescue, confined space rescue and other task-specific certifications.
Reflecting on her time at Scarlet, Nicole shared, “The teachers really knew us; we were very close to them. They helped us understand academics and how they would apply in the real world of firefighting.” Currently attending Cincinnati State to obtain her academic requisites, Seybold is heading to Christ Hospital’s nursing school in September. Nicole’s career goal is to become a certified midwife and assist in labor and delivery.
Thinking about others in her graduating class – full-time firefighters, a forensics student and other nursing students – Nicole feels strongly that, “so many people don’t understand what a springboard Scarlet Oaks can be. It connects you to so many resources out there – whether it’s college, the military, or a job in your field.”
