Three CS Staff Members Complete UCLA's EMT Course

Maya Mulvihill (Front Office), Ken Parr (Director of Finance), and Ausra Venckus (6th Grade Teacher) took advantage of this opportunity and completed the rigorous 8 week course, which included 170 hours of class time including skills instruction and lectures, six medical exams, mass casualty training, two 12 hour ride-along shifts with McCormick Ambulance in Los Angeles, a 3 hour written final exam, and a 3 hour hands-on skills final exam.  With the formal course now under their belts, they are preparing to sit for the National Registry EMT certification exam.

Ausra Venckus’ account of her experience taking the course so eloquently relays the challenges of the program.  She states, “When we started the EMT course, I quickly realized we were an anomaly. The majority of our classmates were firefighters and a minority were pre-med students.  Everybody was very curious about what three teachers were doing there. I believe EMT knowledge is beneficial for every citizen.  My students loved asking about each week’s “life-hacks.” I feel so much more at ease knowing I can make the right decisions in a variety of crises.  Personally, I love doing hard things and this course provided a challenging way to grow.”


“We are so proud of Maya, Ken, and Ausra and are grateful that we have their emergency medical expertise to assist us on campus if the need should ever arise,” said Steve Springer, Associate Head of School and Principal.  He further gushed, “Completing this course was no easy task and required a ton of commitment. We are thrilled that these three staff members saw the value in the opportunity the school provided. It is professional development opportunities like these that not only improve the lives of our employees but that also make Carlthorp School a better place.”