EMMA MERRILL – THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Emma Merrill: An Army Medic – making a difference!
Currently residing in the Portland area, Emma Merrill, a former Army Medic originally from Plano, Texas, is penning a new chapter in her life’s story. At Clackamas Community College, she’s working toward becoming a nurse, much like her mother was when she was growing up. Emma’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of determination and education, highlighting the abundant opportunities she has ahead of her.
Immediately after graduating from high school in 2016, Emma entered the Army, enlisting as a medic. She had always known she wanted to get into the healthcare field, so the role of “medic” seemed like the best option for her in the military. However, when deciding to enlist, she had a few influences. “The institutionalization started young,” she said. “They caught my eye when I was in fifth grade and my mom was a nurse, so I was just like ‘I’ll be an army nurse,’ and it kind of just started from that.”
Being an Army medic isn’t what most people would think. “There’s like health care specialists, medic, and then combat medic, but no one ever uses the combat medic because we’re not in a whole lot of combat these days,” she says. “For me, I revived my buddies, you know I looked out for them left and right and be there to hopefully uplift or bring some spirit because our job doesn’t always require revival.”
She recalls that training though, was a bit worse than basic training for other soldiers. “They were very nice with medics, but they kind of wanted you to hold yourself up to a standard,” she said. Some of the things she went through during training were vigorous physical activity, including one of the more difficult things she endured: trying to carry a 200-pound man with armor several miles at a time. “It was definitely a test of my physical strength and mental fortitude,” she said. She trained for 19 weeks before going off to Europe.
For two years in the Army, she lived in Germany and Poland, among others, like Romania and Bulgaria, and had several experiences while there. “We would walk lots of miles in convoys that would go for three to four days with an average of 12 to 15 hours of driving each day,” she said. “We’d also exercise our skills or help treat locals and practice treating injuries.” In 2019, she came back to the States and went back to the training unit she was at in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, coming full circle.
Though she wanted to go somewhere else, but didn’t know where; so, she decided to chance it. “I kind of covered my eyes and put my finger on the map and it ended up in Oregon,” she said. “It’s beautiful so I stayed.”
Once here, she originally attended the Oregon Institute of Technology for Medical Imaging, but realized it wasn’t fast-paced or exciting enough for her. This was when she started applying to various nursing programs and she eventually landed in the Clackamas Community College nursing program. “I was at OIT for about two years and now I’m currently at CCC and I’ve been here for about one year exactly,” she said.
While she does want to get into nursing, her aspirations span beyond that. “I want to go into gynecology possibly, I’m not sure yet, but I feel like women are the most underserved in the gynecological specialty,” she said. “We’ll see if that happens.” Until then, once she graduates from her program, she anticipates going into emergency department nursing. “[In the ER] I can really get a taste for everything,” she said. “It’s just where all the craziest things come through and I’m looking forward to some stories.” “I also just want to have a job that I like once I’m done at CCC,” she added.
Emma just wants to make a difference in the healthcare system and help people while doing it and her experience in the Army helped her further pursue her career choice. “People’s well being’s are important,” she said” “As cliché as it is, I want to make sure people open their eyes at the end of the day.”