Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions highlights student, faculty and alumni voices during EMS Week
Posted on May 19, 2026 by Daniel Curtis
As part of EMS Week, the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions is highlighting students, faculty and alumni whose experiences reflect the purpose, promise and impact of emergency medical services.
Student spotlight: Kevin Miller
Kevin Miller鈥檚 path into EMS began after he joined Mobile Fire-Rescue Department and
completed EMT training at South.
鈥淭he passionate instructors helped me realize how much I love emergency medicine and how rewarding it can be,鈥� Miller said.
He said his experience in the college has been shaped not only by what he is learning, but also by the people teaching him and the classmates learning alongside him. One moment that stands out most was a mass casualty incident exercise this spring, when he served in the treatment officer role.
鈥淏eing able to be responsible for that many patients is eye opening,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚t was also overwhelming at times and that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 so grateful to be a part of it, to gain that knowledge and experience with everyone who participated.鈥�
As he looks ahead, Miller said he is most excited by the opportunity to make a real difference in people鈥檚 lives through competence, kindness and high-quality care.
Faculty spotlight: Joshua Coaker
For Joshua Coaker, one of the most rewarding parts of teaching in the EMS Paramedic
Program is the time he gets to spend with each cohort as students move through three
consecutive semesters together.
鈥淚 enjoy the one on one time that I get to spend with each cohort,鈥� Coaker said. 鈥淓ach group will spend 3 consecutive semesters together, and I am their primary instructor during that time. I get to see them form lifelong bonds and grow as a team.鈥�
At this year鈥檚 Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions Honors Ceremony, Coaker was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award. He said the most meaningful moments often come when former students return to share stories about the difference they are making in the world.
鈥淪eeing how proud they are of making a difference in the world is what it is all about,鈥� Coaker said.
He said he hopes students leave South with more than technical skill.
鈥淥ne of the most important lessons I want our students to learn while they are here is that the knowledge and technical skills are important, but none of that matters if you forget how to first be a good person,鈥� Coaker said.
Alumni spotlight: Anisa Saleh
Anisa Saleh found EMS after attending a medical-themed leadership conference during
her junior year of high school. When she began searching for schools with an EMS major,
she found South.
Coming to Alabama from California meant leaving home, building a new support system and adjusting to a very different environment.
鈥淚t was a great opportunity for growth and discovering what it was like to live on my own and build a new support structure,鈥� Saleh said.
Looking back, she said the defining moment in her professional development came during a capstone clinical rotation, when she helped care for a critically ill patient who survived and made a full recovery.
鈥淭hat moment confirmed for me that I was on the right path and showed me the difference that EMS can make in the most vital moments in someone鈥檚 life,鈥� Saleh said.
Saleh said her education at South gave her the certifications, knowledge, resilience and critical-thinking skills that continue to serve her in the field.