2023 Randolph County Farm Family of the Year: Lane, Jennifer, and Wes Hardin
Two of the three Randolph County Farm Family members recently signed up to further their education at Black River Technical College (BRTC).
The 2023 Randolph County Farm Family is the Hardin family of Water Valley. Wes, Jennifer and the couple’s son Lane visited the BRTC Pocahontas campus where Wes signed up for the EMT program, and Lane signed up for the Industrial Maintenance Technology program.
Wes said he recently joined the Dalton Volunteer Fire Department, and the topic of first responders came up.
“I don’t want to only know the bare minimum. I want to be able to really help people,” Wes said of joining the EMT program at BRTC. He added that the EMT program appealed to him, because that in the future he could always build on the education if the need or want arose.
Lane is a 2023 graduate of Sloan Hendrix. During discussions about his future plans with his counselor, he learned he needed a degree to pursue the position of service technician he desires at Peco Foods, Inc. So, after thoroughly investigating BRTC programs with his counselor, he decided to pursue Industrial Maintenance Technology.
The BRTC EMT-Paramedic program is designed to provide students with the knowledge of extensive pre-hospital care, and skills necessary to apply that knowledge effectively.
The goal of BRTC’s Paramedic Program is to prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.
Students are exposed to patient assessment, administration of drugs orally and intravenously, interpretation of electrocardiograms (EKGs), performing endotracheal intubations, and use of monitors, and other complex medical equipment.
Graduates will find opportunities for employment in municipal fire departments, private ambulance services, hospitals, and private industry.
The Industrial Maintenance Technology Program is a two-year program designed to prepare workers who are cross-trained in several areas of industrial needs, including supervisory, and leadership skills.
Students are introduced to hydraulics, electrical processes, programmable logic technology, motors and motor controls, blueprint reading, welding, and leadership skills.
The Hardin’s already have a strong background in agriculture. They run six broiler (chicken) houses, and have an 80-head strong herd of cattle. Any continuing education in their future only makes the family a stronger, more diverse unit.
For more information about enrolling at BRTC, visit https://blackrivertech.org/admission-registration-enrollment.