An alumna of the Midland Independent School District (MISD) Fire Academy has earned the distinction of being the first of her class to gain employment with the Midland Fire Department (MFD). The ink on Abigail Carrillo’s diploma from Midland Legacy High School barely began to dry when she and other recruits were sworn in as the newest members of MFD late last month.
According to MISD, Carrillo enrolled in the fire academy as a junior with her high school graduation a year later. The entity that produced Carrillo is offered through a dual-credit program offered at Midland College (MC).
"Congrats on your amazing journey and paving the way for future MISD grads," the Permian Basin public school district said in a September 29th Facebook post.
Launched in 2021, the program not only instills technical skills in the students, but also emphasizes the development of soft skills. Firefighters grow to see each other as more than co-workers, forming a tight-knit community that values professionalism and camaraderie.
Carrillo is one of the two fresh MISD graduates working for the department, Midland Times reported citing a press release disseminated. It’s the dual-credit program’s hope that others who aspire to serve like her follow in her footsteps and enroll.