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DALLAS––Lincolnton’s Emilee Reynolds is among Gaston College’s top graduates in the class of 2024.

A member of the class of ’22 at Lincolnton High School and also a member of the “College Now” dual-enrollment program, Reynolds simultaneously earned a high school diploma and an associate’s degree through Gaston College two years ago. At that time, she had planned to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and continue on to medical school to become a doctor.

But she developed a love for the field of emergency medical services after completing the summer EMT certificate program at Gaston College in 2022, and her long-term goals changed. She began the associate in applied science paramedic program in January of last year and was graduated in May. She now plans to pursue a part-time job as a paramedic while completing her four-year degree in integrated health science at Western Carolina University. After getting that degree, Reynolds hopes to be accepted into the physician’s assistant program and further her career as a health care provider.

Attending Gaston College has consistently been a wonderful experience for Reynolds. She said she is especially grateful to instructors Carrie Gillilan and Chad Parlier, who have been “amazing advocates for the paramedic students’ education.”

“Emilee is an extremely bright and very dedicated student,” said Parlier. “She works hard, and it shows. She has been an ‘A’ student during the entire paramedic program and has always stepped up and helped her classmates. She has grown over the last year and is what I would consider not only a model for her other classmates but also a leader, with her dedication to excel within the paramedic curriculum.”

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