08/26/2026
๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐บ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐น๐ค๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ.
Nelson County EMS is proud to recognize ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ญ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ for passing the National Registry Paramedic Exam!
Becoming a paramedic is a significant accomplishment that requires dedication, perseverance, and countless hours of studying, clinicals, and hands-on experience. For Ashton, the journey was about more than earning another certificationโit was an opportunity to grow as a provider and strengthen his knowledge on his path to becoming a Physicianโs Assistant.
Ashton has been with Nelson County EMS since January of 2026, working part time as he continued to attend college at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond Kentucky.
Ashtonโs path began with an early interest in medicine and practicing medicine. During high school, he had the opportunity through a premed program to participate in hospital clinicals. He spoke about how spending time in the Emergency Room stuck with him most, adding that the high intensity environment was part of what he enjoyed about it. He watched first responders bring in patients who were treated in the field. " ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐, ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐."
As part of his degree program at EKU, Ashton knew that he had to go through the paramedic program. When asked about his time during the program, one of the things he found most interesting was meeting his classmates. He spoke about how it can be hard to explain what the job consists of for those who are outside the world of EMS. Having classmates who were also experiencing a sense of isolation from other aspects of college allowed Ashton to see how they could come together and bounce ideas and concerns off of because they were all going through the same program. Of course, still, the journey wasnโt without its challenges. Ashton described that trusting his training was the hardest part. During the paramedic program, there are many new skills introduced and an immense amount of knowledge taught in the classroom. When it was time to put what he had learned in the classroom into practice through ride time and hospital clinicals, he found himself surrounded by people who had been practicing medicine for years. At times, he struggled to trust his own training and knowledge, feeling as though he didnโt know as much as those around him. "๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ โ๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐คโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐."
Of course, earning a paramedic license can sometimes truly test a person. Adding school to an already busy life presented its own set of challenges. Ashton found that the hardest part was understanding that school required 90% of his attention. Meaning he had to make a lot of sacrifices including time he could be spending with friends or family so he could focus on learning. He knew it was important to remember that he is still his own person and existed outside of the classroom. Whenever he started to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, he remembered that growth, in regards to learning, requires a step back and giving yourself a break to truly understand the topics.
Despite all the challenges, Ashton leaned into his faith. He dealt with times where his confidence felt lacking, leaving him in a state where he struggled to keep going. But he gave himself a daily reminder that being granted the opportunity to attend paramedic school was Godโs will. That this was the path the Lord had destined for him, and that he would persevere through the trials along the way.
Looking back, he has some advice for the person he was on the first day of paramedic school:
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐! ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐โ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ โ๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐โ ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐๐ . ๐ต๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ผ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ผ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
And for those who may be considering EMS as a career, his advice is simple:
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ. ๐ด ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐โ. ๐ด๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก โ๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ, ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ โ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
Now that he has earned his paramedic license, the journey doesnโt end there. Looking ahead, Ashton says his goals are to continue practicing and learning! He has two years remaining in college and once he graduates, he will commission into the Army as an officer and will then attend Physician Assistant school through the Army. Ashton intends to retain his paramedic license so he can continue to work in the prehospital setting.
Nelson County EMS is proud to recognize Ashton for this accomplishment and the dedication it represents. His achievement is a reflection of the commitment, perseverance, and continued growth that make our providers Excellence in Action. ๐
๐ Written By: Lauren Walker-Millard
