Each year, Questar III BOCES celebrates Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®, a time to celebrate our students and the opportunities CTE provides. While our students are learning the technical skills required to fill employment needs across our region, state, and country, they’re also developing the soft skills to become great employees and leaders. When a student chooses a CTE program, they’re choosing more than just job training; they’re choosing to be prepared for what comes next, whether that’s college, advanced training, or an immediate career in the workforce. We’re honored to provide them with that foundation.
Join us throughout the month of February as we celebrate all things CTE. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to learn more about our programs and our students.
Madisyn Werner, a senior from Greenville Central School District, is currently enrolled in her second Questar III BOCES program at Donald R. Kline Technical School, EMT. Her junior year, she graduated from the one-year Fire Science program, where she was part of the inaugural class and earned her New York State Basic Exterior Firefighter Operations Certification.
Madisyn Werner (right) shakes the hand of Donald R. Kline Technical School Principal, Ms. Nickerson, as she is handed her NYS BEFO Certificate in May 2025.
Public service and giving back have always been important to Madisyn. Now in the EMT program, Madisyn is learning more life saving skills and preparing for yet another NYS certification, her EMT-B. Students in both programs also earn FEMA and First Aid/CPR certifications; Madisyn has been able to skip some of these this year since she earned them last year.
“Doing the Fire Science program last year gave me a head start in the emergency field, and learning how they correspond to each other,” shared Madisyn. “I originally wanted to become an EMT in the city, so I wanted that experience. But when I realized I couldn’t join that program until I was a senior, I joined Fire (Science) to get a head start.”
The EMT program gives students real world experience as they participate in clinicals in the Emergency Room at Columbia Memorial Health. Here, they shadow and assist hospital staff to learn more about the types of patients and calls they could encounter. Students are also encouraged to volunteer with their local ambulance agencies. Madisyn is already a volunteer with the Greenville Fire Department and is working on joining their rescue squad.
“I just enjoy helping people,” shared Madisyn. “A lot of people think first responders do it for the money, but it’s not about that. It’s about helping your community and being there for them.”
With graduation around the corner, Madisyn is looking towards her future. And while she loves giving back to her community, she has decided that being a paid firefighter or paid EMT is not the route she wishes to take. However, she plans to continue volunteering in her community and would like to start a different first responder career.
“I’d like to become a Greene County Sheriff,” Madisyn said. “I’ve known since freshman year that I wanted to be some sort of first responder, I just didn’t know where.”
Madisyn went on to share the benefits of having both firefighting and EMT skills on this career path, and how her emergency services experience will help her on this journey. She also credits these programs and SkillsUSA with putting her in environments where she has learned to be a stronger communicator.
“It’d be awesome to work myself up to the top,” Madisyn said. “To have people view me as someone who did that, to know I did it on my own time and for myself. And Questar III helped me get there.”