Angelina College Honors Nine Brave New Firefighters
Monday evening, Angelina College graduated nine new firefighters in a celebration held inside AC’s Community Services building. Cadet Ryan R. Chapa received the award for Highest Academic Achievement, while Cadet Chase D. Lacey received the Most Outstanding Cadet award after votes from his classmates.
Chief Jason Pope addressed both the cadets and the crowd, lauding the cadets’ choices to enter the profession and to endure the grueling 16-week course. Pope reminded them that their commitment to the academy extends to both the profession and real life. The Keynote speaker was Captain Williams Gates of AC’s Fire Academy. Chapa, the class valedictorian, recalled the cadets’ expectations in the beginning and how those expectations evolved into reality.
“When we first started, all we knew was lights and sirens and running into buildings,” Chapa said. “But along the way, we learned there’s so much more than that. It’s waking up every day and learning something new when your brain’s still hurting from all the information you learned the day before. It’s learning how to stay calm when everything around you is falling apart. It’s trusting your brothers with your life and having their backs at all times.”
Lacey, a military veteran, praised his classmates for their willingness to learn from what he called “by far, the oldest cadet in the class.”
“I was by far the oldest, and they never let me live that down,” Lacey joked. “Every single one of these guys picked up what I had to share from my own experiences, and they’ve molded themselves into great leaders. They’ve pushed themselves beyond what they were capable of doing."
Here Are The Graduating Fire Cadets
Mason R. Bass (Nacogdoches), Austin R. Cadroy (Orange), William Castillo (Cushing), Ryan R. Chapa (Lufkin), Jaime Flores II (Lufkin), Garrett D. Hogg (Hudson), Chase D. Lacey (Etoile), Elijah E. Loper (Alto) and Aden M. Morris (Livingston).
Instructors and staff for Class 25-65: Jason Pope, Chief Training Officer, Angelina College Fire Academy; Shawn Dillon, Assistant Coordinator, Angelina College Fire Academy/Nacogdoches Fire Department; Kim Capps, Public Safety Specialist; and William Gates, Angelina College Fire Academy. For further information regarding Angelina College’s Fire Academy, contact Jason Pope at jpope@angelina.edu.
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Gallery Credit: Chaz