Minuteman Student Emily Hawkins Helps Woman After Car Accident

By Judy Bass

At the end of April, Emily Hawkins, a junior majoring in Health Assisting at Minuteman High School in Lexington, won a gold medal at a statewide competition for vocational high school students. She earned the honor for her expertise in demonstrating the proper technique for treating a laceration.

It’s no wonder that Emily, who is 16 and lives in Lexington, was able to perform that task with such professionalism in front of the judges. Barely a week earlier, she voluntarily did the exact same thing for real at the site of a three-car accident.

On April 18, during spring school vacation, Emily and her sister were riding in a car driven by her mom headed to Foxwoods in Connecticut for a fun excursion. They had just gotten onto 95 headed south where it splits from 93 by Norwood. At that point, they came upon a multi-vehicle crash. According to Emily's mother, Melissa Hawkins, all three vehicles involved were totaled, with the entire front of the second car crumpled from the impact. Everyone had been wearing their seat belts, Emily recalled.

Other motorists and their passengers going past the scene were gawking, taking photos and videos instead of helping the people in the damaged cars, said Melissa, but Emily insisted on having her mother pull over so she could get out and put her medical know-how to use in any way that she could.

She did not make that request on a whim. Even at her age, thanks to her Minuteman education, Emily already has her certification in Basic Life Support (BLS), CPR and first aid, and she knows the protocols for dealing with adults and children who are choking.

The people in the first and third cars seemed shaken but otherwise unharmed, but those in the second car needed attention. While Emily’s sister called 911 and her mother stayed with the driver, who was complaining of dizziness but otherwise seemed alright, Emily took charge and calmly assessed the situation. She quickly saw that an elderly female in that car, who was the mother of the driver, might be in trouble.

One of her hands had sustained a bad cut, with skin flapping from it and blood staining her pants and shirt. After speaking with her, Emily learned that she was on blood thinning medication, which explained the profuse bleeding. The woman also said she had a pacemaker and had hip and knee problems. In addition, Emily found out that the woman was experiencing chest pain because of how the seat belt she was wearing restrained her in the crash.

With just a pair of gloves that were in her mom's car and a bunch of napkins from Dunkin’, Emily was able to control the bleeding from the woman's hand and keep her calm and still until more help arrived to pitch in. Emily also asked the woman if she would let her check for any observable chest injuries.

Reflecting several days later on her amazing poise under duress, Emily’s comments underscored her level-headedness and maturity. “You just take a breath and say to someone, ‘I’ve got this, you’ll be okay.’”

Instead of getting flustered, Emily was very steady and methodical in how she went about what she was doing. That, too, came from her Health Assisting background from Minuteman.

“We’re trained to be factually-based,” she said. “So it’s what do we see, what have we done so far, and how is the person responding.”

Actually, Emily was so intensely focused that later, her mother said that she mentally went down the checklist of what she was supposed to do in those circumstances “as if she were reciting a grocery list.”

Described admiringly as “a go-getter who takes the initiative” by Minuteman School Counselor Dana Farrill, Emily hadn’t hesitated for a moment when her healthcare savvy was urgently needed.

At that point, a man stopped by to help and said he was an EMT. Melissa explained to him what had happened and mentioned Emily's experience and qualifications. He checked to make sure that some liquid on the ground was not gasoline leaking from the cars (it was actually windshield washer fluid), and said he would remain with them until other medical professionals reached the crash site.

Police and an ambulance arrived next. When they heard what Emily's certifications were and saw the efficient way she was handling everything, they allowed her to continue until the EMTs arrived shortly after.

According to Melissa, who is director of the Career Center at the MCPHS University (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). "They kept thanking her and congratulating her on a good job. I am not sure they knew how old she was, because it was amazing to watch her handle the situation like a pro who does this on a daily basis."

Emily agreed, saying, “They had no idea that I was 16. They probably thought I was at least a college student.”

She added, “I was doing everything right. I was doing the same things they would.”

Her eagerness to be of service to a total stranger in an emergency does not surprise Minuteman Assistant Principal / Admissions Director George Clement.

“I have seen Emily display great compassion to others,” he said. “She is special because her talents, the strength of her convictions, and her courage to act challenge all of us to be better people. Heroic actions fall right in line with the Emily I know. The universe must know it too because it seems miraculous that an injured woman would need the exact treatment Emily had been practicing. Someone needed an angel, and Emily appeared on the road.”

Elements in Emily’s background figured into her success that day. She has been around elderly people quite a bit, including her great-grandmother, who is 98. As part of the Health Assisting program at Minuteman, she puts in clinical hours at a local nursing home taking care of the residents, who she says eagerly gravitate to her warm manner and sincerity.

“Every day, I have the same conversation with one of them,” Emily said. “It makes her happy.” Another resident loves hearing about Emily’s three cats and three dogs.

Emily’s Health Assisting teachers at Minuteman spoke appreciatively of her character and solid grasp of what she has been taught.

“I’m so proud of Emily,” said Nicole Copithorne, RN. “When I trained Emily, she always took her training in CPR and first aid seriously and has been very interested in it. I am so happy that she was able to use the skills she has learned here in Health Assisting in action at the accident scene. She has really shown growth here. At clinical, she shows caring and compassion and professionalism.”

Maureen Berry, RN, who also teaches in the Health Assisting program at Minuteman, said, “Emily has worked diligently in class, mastering the skills necessary to become an entry-level CNA [Certified Nursing Assistant]. She brings abundant energy to all she does as evidenced by her recent gold medal at SkillsUSA. We are not surprised to learn that Emily stopped to render aid at the scene of a multi-car motor vehicle accident. She is committed to pursuing a higher education healthcare career.”

Both Emily and Melissa praised the education she has received at Minuteman.

“The exposure the students get to career fields is incredible,” Melissa declared. “Those kids are so far ahead of someone just out of high school.”

Emily readily affirmed her mother’s opinion. “I love doing things hands-on and I’m so grateful for the people I’ve been able to surround myself with. At Minuteman, if you stumble, they pull you up and help you to keep going. When I went there, I felt like I was at home.”

Emily is still thrilled about the gold medal she won at the State Leadership and Skills Conference held by SkillsUSA, a national organization for vocational students that sponsors competitions at which gold, silver or bronze medals can be earned in dozens of technical categories. As a gold medalist, Emily is eligible to compete at the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, KY in June.

She went head to head with the best and emerged triumphant. “I can’t believe it, I’m still blown away,” she exclaimed jubilantly. “It’s just an amazing feeling.”

As for her roadside medical ministrations, Emily said, “I’m very proud of myself. I just had to do it right – and I feel as though I did.”

Anyone interested in applying to Minuteman High School is urged to act promptly. Applications for admission are coming in quickly due to the high level of public interest in high quality career and technical education that will be operating in the new Minuteman High School currently under construction. Please visit www.minuteman.org and go to the Admissions tab on the home page.

Minuteman is five months away from moving into a $145M facility that has been designed to support a robust college and career academy model. The academy model was adopted by staff and administration to create smaller “schools within a school” thereby promoting more personalized learning founded upon close relationships between students and teachers. The Minuteman college and career academy model integrates rigorous academics with relevant technical programming in occupational areas providing individual economic opportunity. The new facility will accommodate project-based learning across disciplines, requiring students to learn how to work on a diverse team, solve problems and think critically. These are essential 21^st-century skills that students practice and apply in a variety of school-based and work-based environments.

As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman inspires all students to attain their full potential, accelerate their learning, and become purposeful citizens in the global community.

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