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Delanie Lavacude-KlenckOcean Lifeguard/EMTCity of Port HuenemeI attended Oxnard College Regional Lifeguard Academy in 2018. At the time, I was preparing to become an Ocean Lifeguard and Oxnard College provided me with all the skills and training I need to achieve my goal. Before the academy, I always knew I wanted to be involved in Emergency Medical Services. When I was younger I participated in the Port Hueneme Jr. Lifeguard program for many years before taking the next step in my career towards EMS. Oxnard College Regional Lifeguard Academy showed me what it means to be an ocean lifeguard and how EMS plays a role in beach safety. Lifeguards are a tight-knit group, and I am still good friends with many of the people I attended the academy with. Many of my fellow cadets have gone on to become Firefighters, Paramedics, and Ocean Lifeguards. I have even had such a pleasure of working with some of them side-by-side at the City of Port Hueneme. The academy introduced me to the world of lifeguarding and the different avenues this profession can lead to. Lifeguarding is also about helping people and doing the right thing. The Academy gave me a strong foundation for these values. I became an Ocean Lifeguard after I graduated from the Academy. I have worked for the City of Port Hueneme since 2018 and have loved it ever since. I also went on to receive my EMT at Oxnard College after my first season as a Lifeguard. Through hard work and dedication, I have been lucky enough to come full circle and instruct at the same Academy that started my journey. Through all the steps along the way I have made many friendships and understand how thankful I am to have one of the best jobs in the world. It all began at the Oxnard College Regional Lifeguard Academy and it is something I will always be thankful for. |
Chad Woodard
CA State Parks Ocean Lifeguard 1Channel Coast District
I attended Oxnard College’s lifeguard academy in the spring semester of 2020. I grew up loving the ocean and all types of water activities. One of my career goals is to become a firefighter and be able to serve on a specialized unit either in swift water or ocean/water rescue, so the opportunity at Oxnard College to attend a lifeguard academy and learn the skills and knowledge it takes to be effective at helping people in the ocean environment was extremely appealing to me. I had high expectations for the academy and I am pleased to report that the academy both met and exceeded my expectations.
For starters, the instructors were incredibly knowledgeable and had years of experience in the field. From day 1, you could tell that they were excited to pass along their knowledge and try to make you better and more comfortable in the ocean environment regardless of your swimming skill or knowledge of the ocean. Also, you get exposed to a variety of different types of resources and equipment. You get to practice and use rescue boards, rescue watercraft (aka a cooler jetski), and Ventura harbor patrol vehicles/boats just to name a few. Lastly, the instructors are proactive about helping students pursue their career goals. They brought a CA State Parks Peace Officer Lifeguard to the academy one of the days to speak to the class and answer questions about their hiring process. I owe a lot to the Oxnard lifeguard academy because it opened the door to an amazing career opportunity for me, and also helped prepare me for my first summer ocean lifeguarding. During my CA State Parks Academy, I encountered many of the same skills and training that I learned at the Oxnard academy, and I am extremely thankful that I attended Oxnard’s academy before my State Park's academy. |