Central Oregon Community College
Directory
Student Login
Employee Login

This is the searchbox for the COCC website

Student Stories

Angel Cisneros ThorsvoldAngel Cisneros Thorsvold

Fire Science graduate 
Wildfire fire-line medic & paramedic

Whether she's transporting hospital patients across Central Oregon or shouldering a medic's backpack and helicoptering into forest fire incidents around the West, COCC Fire Science degree and EMS certificate graduate Angel Cisneros Thorsvold leads a diverse and exciting career as a fire-line medic and paramedic. A former volunteer with the Sisters Fire Department, Thorsvold also served as president of the department's fire association. Now she splits her time seasonally as a fire-line medic and a transport paramedic. "I like the whole variety," she says of her dual careers. 

"I love my job helping firefighters. I give a lot of thanks to my instructors at COCC for helping me have a better understanding about my job as a fire-line medic and how to help firefighters if they get injured or sick."

Natalie DicksonNatalie Dickson

Fire Science graduate
Firefighter/paramedic, Gresham Fire and Emergency Services

"Answering the call" — a mantra widely used in the world of firefighting — is something that spoke to Natalie Dickson from her first exposure to the profession. As a young attendee at the Portland Metro Fire Camp (an annual experiential firefighting camp for women ages 16 to 22) Dickson says she instantly felt the pull. "The team camaraderie, the drills, and the overall atmosphere made me fall in love with this line of work," she shares. "The physicality challenged me and inspired me to work harder than I ever had." 

At COCC, Dickson connected her new passion with top-notch training — and an ironclad support system. "I remember feeling, without a doubt, that the fire faculty and staff would help me get through to the end of my time there. Time and time again, I was blown away by how easy it was to reach out anytime I had a question or problem. They weren't just advisers, they were truly my cheerleaders." 

"When someone needs help, I'm proud to be a part of a team that shows up to solve the problem and bring calm to the chaos."

During her studies, Dickson served as a student reserve member for the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District, and she cites that two-and-a-half-year stint as an essential part of her overall training experience. "I'm proud I began my career at La Pine Fire, and am grateful for all they taught me and how they pushed me so far to get to where I am. I learned from them the discipline and excellence needed to excel in this line of work and be the best public servant for my community that I could ever be."

Dickson started with Gresham Fire and Emergency Services in 2022. And from rural to urban communities, the mission is the same: "When someone needs help, I'm proud to be a part of a team that shows up to solve the problem and bring calm to the chaos." 

Student Success StoryJerimiah Kenfield

Fire Science graduate 
Battalion Chief and Paramedic, Crook County Fire & Rescue

As a battalion chief with Crook County Fire & Rescue and a part-time EMS instructor at COCC, Jerimiah Kenfield is committed to actively serving his community and training future first responders. "I have always been impressed with the wealth of knowledge and dedication among the faculty at COCC,” says Kenfield, a graduate of the COCC Fire Science program.

"The best advice I would give a student is to become affiliated with an organization while going to school so you can apply the knowledge and skills you are learning."