NAEMT congratulates Christopher Antwine of Coward, S.C., on receiving the most recent $2,500 Degree Completion Scholarship from The College Network. Antwine currently is a paramedic with McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, S.C.

Antwine started his career as a volunteer firefighter and quickly realized that he felt disappointed every time EMS arrived and took away his patient, on whom he had worked so hard. “I became an EMT and transitioned to paramedic within two years,” he says. “But I realized that I needed to further my education to better serve my family and my community.”

In 2010, he needed shoulder surgery for an on-the-job injury that happened six years prior, which his workplace didn't cover. He then had to work two-three jobs to make ends meet. “I contacted The College Network and realized that I could better provide for my family and begin a new chapter in my 14 years as a paramedic. I love being a paramedic, but am also excited about being able to provide continued care as a future registered nurse to better myself and make a better life for my family,” Antwine says.