Spring 2026 Winner of the Wounded First Responders Scholarship

Christina Caples

Watching her father persevere after a career-ending injury taught Christina the importance of resilience. As a first responder herself, her experiences have further shaped her outlook on life and strengthened her sense of purpose. We congratulate her on this achievement and wish her the best of luck in her career!

Read Their Essay Here:

My dad always told me that his best job in the world was when he had become a firefighter in Santa Rosa California. Unfortunately for him, his career was cut short and lasted for 18 years. One evening on the 4th of July, a structure fire was called in due to fireworks. The structure burned out the controls on a gate that blocked access to the building- his crew had no choice but to run down the gate with their engine. Inside the structure fire, as they were working on the inside of the building, my dads captain stepped directly onto a hot nail that had penetrated his foot; he was in immense pain and could no longer walk. My dad immediately sprung into action- surrounded by whipping flames, the hiss and pops of embers, coated in sweat and bunker gear with nothing but adrenaline in his veins, he dragged out several hundred pounds of weight by himself. This saved his captain's life and deemed my dad a hero, but completely tore out his shoulder and ultimately ended his career.

For the next several years it was recovery; multiple surgeries and metal pins holding his ligaments in place where once held great pride. Wound dressings and grieving the career that saved him and my brother from generational trauma of abuse and poverty. He was given half of his retirement pension, and the chance to learn a new trade that did not fit him like firefighting had. Since then, he has been grieving the loss of the best career choice he had made. He has found other outlets but none fit the same. He inspired both my brother and I to begin careers as first responders. My brother now works as a firefighter/emt in Savannah Georgia, and I have just begun a career in private EMS in our small town of Sequim, Washington.

While I decide which career path I would like to pursue, I have been given the opportunity to attend my top choice school and pursue my bachelors in nursing. I will be a first generation college graduate, and attending university has been my dream since I was little. On another hand working as a first responder has been one of the most fulfilling jobs I have ever had and I wonder if the continuation of this avenue would be a possibility for me. Either way, completing college has been my biggest dream.

Becoming a first responder for me has truly changed me and impacted my outlooks on life. I have met the happy, the sad, the irritated, and the interesting. I have taken in people for cut fingers up to overturned cars, and seen few be taken in helicopters. I have had many late nights where the only sleep I get is in between calls and returning from half hour transports. There are some patients who I watch improve, and some who I bring to their final resting place. Yet every day I leave my shift with a smile on my face, knowing that in one way big or little I am making an impact. I like to think I have a nurturing character, and that this reflects in my everyday work.

My dad has always been my biggest supporter, and I know he wants nothing but to help me through my education journey. If there’s one thing he has helped me with, it’s to keep my head high no matter what. I went from working 30+ hours a week in high school, barely passing and paying for not only my expenses but some of my family’s, to completing my associates degree and getting into my top choice school. If it wasn’t for the encouragement I have received from him, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to this point. My dad has now found a new outlet; he loves boxing and has been teaching classes for years. Recently he has begun classes for teens and for participants with Parkinson’s Disease, who need to keep moving. I ask for you to know that because of my dad, I will not give up on my educational goals and that just like his injury, the bumps in my road will not define me.