Adrian, MI - For Maddox Betz, becoming an EMT wasn’t a career path he stumbled into. In many ways, it was a path he grew up around.

Some of his earliest memories include visiting his dad at the fire department and spending time around firefighters and EMTs. In the Betz family, that connection goes back even further. Maddox is the seventh generation of his family to follow a path into emergency services.

Today, he is doing something he once only imagined: working as an EMT at the Adrian Township Fire Department alongside his dad.

“Being able to work next to my dad at the township has been an experience I have dreamed about since I was a little kid,” Maddox said.

The opportunity to turn that childhood dream into a career started taking shape while Maddox was still in high school through the Emergency Medical Technician program at the LISD TECH Center.

During the program, he earned several certifications and completed training required to pursue his EMT license, including American Heart Association CPR certification, required Incident Command System training and driving certifications.

It required work well beyond simply showing up for class.

“It requires a lot of time and effort,” Maddox said. “It’s not only a class you work in the classroom, but something that requires time outside of the class. But all the time and effort is so worth it.”

For Maddox, one of the biggest rewards was knowing he could leave high school prepared to enter the workforce. That became very real when an opportunity opened at Adrian Township.

Instead of graduating and then beginning EMT training, Maddox already had the education and credentials behind him to start taking the next steps toward working in the field.

“Knowing that I would leave high school with a certification many don’t get until a few years later was so amazing,” he said. “Knowing I could try and find a job immediately was so cool.”

Some of Maddox’s most valuable preparation, however, happened outside the walls of the LISD TECH Center.

Through third rides, he was able to work alongside paramedics at the Adrian City Fire Department and see emergency medicine in action. He learned from professionals who had spent years in the field, heard their experiences and began applying what he had learned in class.

Sometimes, he even found himself working alongside the person who first introduced him to that world.

“Growing up watching him work and then being able to work side by side with him really meant the world to me,” Maddox said of his dad.

One particular call helped clarify what Maddox wanted his own future to look like.

For a time, he had considered attending the University of Toledo and becoming a nurse. Then, during one of his third rides, his crew responded to a serious motorcycle crash.

Maddox wasn’t able to accompany the patient to the hospital, but when the paramedics returned, they explained how they had worked to keep the patient stable during transport so hospital staff could continue the patient’s care.

Something clicked.

“That’s when I realized I wanted to do the front-line work and be part of a team that keeps people alive to get them the help they truly need,” he said.

His heart, he realized, was where it had always been: EMS.

The EMT program also helped Maddox develop something beyond medical skills. It changed how he saw himself.

Before entering the program, Maddox says working under pressure was difficult. As he gained knowledge and practiced his skills, he realized much of that anxiety came from being afraid of making a mistake.

As his skills grew, so did his confidence, something he credits in large part to EMT instructor Bob Frank and teacher assistant Allison Norman.

“The support of Mr. Frank and Allison truly meant the world to me,” Maddox said. “They both have so much knowledge in this field, and that helped my confidence grow so much.”

They pushed him in other ways, too.

Maddox describes himself as naturally quiet. His instructors saw more in him and continually challenged him to step outside of that comfort zone.

“I truly did not realize how much I was capable of until I started learning,” he said. “They pushed me every day in class. They knew what I was capable of and made sure that I got there.”

It’s a transformation Maddox can see clearly now.

“I went from a shy, nervous kid to a confident young EMT,” he said.

That transformation is also an example of what Unlocking Potential with Credentials can mean. A credential gave Maddox the opportunity to begin working in his chosen field shortly after high school, but the experience behind that credential unlocked something else: confidence in what he could do.

And Maddox isn’t finished.

He’s currently working toward being fully cleared at Adrian Township and plans to pursue his fire certification this fall. After that, he hopes to attend paramedic school and eventually work for the Adrian City Fire Department.

Somewhere further down the road, there may even be another adventure.

“I have always had a wild side,” he said, adding that becoming a smokejumper and fighting wildfires is something he could see himself pursuing later in life.

Wherever the path leads, Maddox already has a foundation to build from.

His advice to students considering earning an EMT credential while still in high school is simple: recognize the opportunity in front of you.

“The value of having this credential shortly out of high school is one of the best things you can do for yourself,” Maddox said. “It sets you up to get a job right out of school and begin to get real-world experiences.”

For a kid who grew up visiting his dad at the fire station, that opportunity has brought things full circle.

Maddox isn’t visiting anymore. He’s answering the calls himself.