HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 13, 2009 – High Point University student Casey Pisano and HPU graduate Sam Crist are busy educating the public about ocean safety this summer – both are working on the Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue team.
Pisano, a junior majoring in business, and Crist, who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science, are spending their time being proactive with beachgoers by helping the beach area to remain a safe environment.
“We are not simply lifeguards who just react to the situation and make a rescue,” Pisano says. “Instead, we are beach managers who invest time into our patrons so that they are able to make the right decisions and take with them the knowledge to be ‘beach smart.’ … This often includes rip current education and prevention, environmental hazards and weather.”
Pisano and Crist underwent extensive training to become a part of the Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue team. Their training consisted of Advanced Open Water Lifesaving, Emergency Medical, and cross training with USCG Rescue Swimmers out of Elizabeth City in helo operations and victim extrication, USCG Boat Crews out of Organ Inlet in boat familiarization, and Dare County EMS MedFlight helicopter use, landing zones and patient loading.
The overall experience has made quite an impression on the two.
“This job has invested in me a desire to continue modeling this professional and purposeful attitude wherever I go,” Crist says. “It has afforded me the desire to pursue a career in advanced lifesaving in the military. … It is a true privilege to be a part of Kitty Hawk. It gives you a sense of pride knowing that you are doing the right thing. It also gives you a sense of responsibility.”
“Working with Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue this past summer has positively influenced me in many ways,” Pisano says. “I now realize how much of a difference can be made with professional training, enthusiastic leadership and a strong desire to maintain public safety. … Aiding in the safety of beachgoers has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I feel fortunate to be part of the Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue team.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people. HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 countries and 44 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report No. 5 among comprehensive universities in the South and No. 1 in its category among up-and-coming schools. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 6 percent among “America’s Best Colleges.” HPU was included in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” 2009 listings. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and seven graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at www.highpoint.edu. Chris DudleyVice President for [email protected]