Stempel College Disaster Management Cohort
Not even the threat of COVID-19 kept the second cohort of the Academy for International Disaster Preparedness at Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work from achieving their academic goals. Pursuing a bachelor’s in Disaster Management, the group–comprised of fire personnel–were returning students, and many had not been in an academic setting in decades. But in January 2020, they embarked on the same path together to further their education and hopefully open doors to new opportunities.
As the pandemic impacted the nation, students Ahmed Abousaleh, Yendy Gonzalez, Melanie Holmes, Juan Carlos Llanes, Glen Stiles and Olivier Tassy continued their education while mobilizing within their respective fire-rescue departments. Two months into their studies, the students found themselves playing critical roles in the COVID-19 response–all while maintaining high GPAs.
These first responders never gave up on achieving their goals and are now equipped with the knowledge needed to mitigate and respond to future crises.
By Stephanie Rendon
Senior Account Manager
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
Ahmed Abousaleh
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A firefighter, paramedic and hazmat driver with 13 years of experience with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, Ahmed tested people for COVID-19, vaccinated first responders and decontaminated fire stations.
Nominated by Joann Brown
Yendy Gonzalez
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A firefighter and paramedic who has been with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department for eight years, now assigned to Station 9, Yendy worked at the Marlins Park COVID-19 testing site and responded to emergency calls throughout the pandemic. In October 2020, he also deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Delta to conduct search and rescue operations.
Nominated by Joann Brown
Melanie Holmes
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A firefighter with six years of experience with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, Melanie supported COVID-19 relief efforts all while responding to emergency calls.
Nominated by Joann Brown
Juan Carlos Llanes
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A lieutenant with 23 years of experience with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, Juan Carlos served as the supervisor for the COVID-19 Enforcement Task Force, focusing on business compliance of COVID-19 restrictions.
Nominated by Joann Brown
Glen Stiles
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A district fire chief with 33 years of experience with the Hialeah Fire-Rescue Department, Glen focused his efforts on PPE distribution and procurement for his department.
Nominated by Joann Brown
Olivier Tassy
Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management
Academy for International Disaster Preparedness
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work
A captain with 15 years of experience with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, Olivier was the incident commander for the Marlins Park COVID-19 testing site, overseeing daily operations by coordinating with local, regional and federal partners.
Nominated by Joann Brown