The word “community” is all over campus— on sheet signs on Kiefaber, posters in Kennedy Union, windows in Marycrest. Community makes UD special. So, after graduating, I looked for commitment to community.
In 2020 I joined Albemarle County (Virginia) Fire Rescue. I am a firefighter, a paramedic, a hazmat technician, a peer supporter and a member of HART.
The Human Services Alternative Response Team is a mental health and substance abuse first-response unit. The team’s goal is to de-escalate individuals in crisis and offer them continued means of support. With staff from Albemarle County Fire Rescue, Police and Social Services, we opt for empathy and research-based methods in treating mental illness and substance abuse-related emergencies.
My first call with HART was in response to a young male exhibiting a mental health crisis outside of a local movie theater. The 911 caller reported someone “yelling nonsense, acting erratically and possibly on drugs.” On scene, we found Jason, an unhoused felon three times over who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and crystal meth addiction. He was stomping in circles and yelling about being married to the vice president of the United States. I calmly introduced myself and reassured him that he wasn’t in any trouble. I talked with Jason for more than an hour, hearing him out and offering resources. By the end of the day, we had him receiving the professional help he needed.
A few months later, I met with Jason. He had been sober for more than a month, with stable housing and a good job — a win for everyone involved. As we were saying goodbye, he looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you.”
Thank you, for a community, a community that cared about him. And that’s what UD’s commitment to community is all about. It’s not just about sharing a beverage with your buddies on a warm weekend, but it’s also about creating communities that care for one another.
We might have left UD; UD never left us.
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A version of this article appears in print in the Summer 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 67. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE