Taylor Best
Photo Editor
With Crowder’s recent and unique hybrid program, students from: Argentina, Ireland, Philippines, Hawaii and Wisconsin are adjusting to life here at Crowder. These eager to learn students are able to receive the skills, training and education through these hybrid (partial online/partial classroom) courses.
The program is designed to give both domestic and international students an education that is available from the comfort of your own home. The courses consist of two college semesters, with the first semester completed online, using Jones and Bartlett’s visual classroom, and the second semester completed in Southwest Missouri for clinical rotations and to practice skills and assessments.
When asked if there were any future plans for this hybrid program to continue to grow, Kristin Spencer, the EMT/Paramedic program director, said, “Absolutely. As far as I’m concerned there are no international boundaries.”
This program is the first of its kind in the state of Missouri, and like most new programs, there will be kinks and issues the will need adjusting. This year, the only challenge that was encountered had to do with transportation of the students to and from the airport, as well as to and from the school.
Seamus O’Reilly, an international student from Dublin, Ireland, spoke about his time here, as well as the motivation needed to complete these courses. “Without the drive, there is no way you can finish this course, a few who started ended up dropping out, because of the commitment required.” This statement was echoed by many of the other international students from Ireland.
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