Today we’d like to introduce you to Romey Fox.
Hi Romey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Since the age of two, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor. In fact, I used to cry to go down the Band-Aid aisle instead of the toy aisle. I was exposed to the medical field at a young age due to my brother having a lot of medical issues and hospitalizations. I also come from a family of first responders, which allowed my parents to provide a lot of the care at home. In first grade, I found out that I was hearing impaired and was diagnosed with Connexin 26, which is a genetic hearing loss disorder. I was initially diagnosed with 40% hearing loss in my right ear and 30% hearing loss in my left ear. Unfortunately, even though it’s not supposed to be progressive, I was later diagnosed with progressive hearing loss after a series of severe illnesses. I went from mild to moderate, then to moderate-severe in both ears. To this day, I am 80% deaf in my right ear and 40% deaf in my left ear.
This caused some struggles with going to school, and the decision was made to start homeschooling. I was able to focus on my studies while staying active in multiple sports, including soccer, basketball, dance, and competitive cheerleading. I was a competitive cheerleader for 15 years and ended my cheerleading career taking third in the world at nationals. At this time, I began directing my studies toward medical school. I enrolled in EMT school at 17 and graduated just after my 18th birthday. I finished school in December and had my first adult job with my local private ambulance company within two months. A month after getting hired, Covid hit. This changed everything. I had a drive-through graduation, colleges were shutting down, and everything I had worked so hard for was taken away. A year later, I was accepted into Central Washington’s Hybrid Paramedic Program after just a year as an EMT at 19 years old. A year into paramedic school, I also experienced my first domestic violence relationship. Navigating the court system while also working and going to school was tough to say the least, and was the longest 5 months of my life. I finally passed paramedic school and became a nationally registered paramedic. Unfortunately, the four-year degree program fizzled, and I was back to square one. I worked full-time as a paramedic to gain experience and figure out my next plan. Shortly thereafter, I experienced my second domestic violence relationship. This opened my eyes to new opportunities. I started a new job working in a rural setting and grew exponentially as a paramedic. I became an EMS instructor and evaluator, and I teach numerous classes. I also found a new online four-year paramedicine degree program through the University of New Haven. The school has supported me immensely, gladly accepted my credits, and is guiding me on my journey to medical school. As of now, I maintain a 4.0 GPA and will be studying abroad in Italy to learn more about the Italian EMS system. At 24, I am a Supervisor Paramedic and am also taking a course to obtain my critical care flight paramedic certification. In my limited free time, I am a volunteer firefighter-paramedic, model, and business owner.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been anything but smooth. I experienced bullying due to being hearing impaired. I have gone through two instances of domestic violence, my paramedic program shut down, and all my colleges shut down due to COVID.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a supervisor paramedic. I am also a full-time student obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Paramedicine while working full-time. My hard work and determination are what set me apart from others. When I am not working or going to school, I spend my days teaching or working as a volunteer firefighter-paramedic.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was an outgoing, determined, hard-working individual.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Romey_Fox
- Facebook: Romey Fox
