Rezeda Kohlenberger

The fact that Rezeda Kohlenberger passed her EMT exam a few months ago might sound relatively straightforward, but for Rezeda — who emigrated from Russia in 2018 — the journey was not easy. When she arrived in America, she had to go through a lengthy process to get her work permit. By the time the paperwork was complete, the spread of COVID-19 had begun.

"That was scary for me. A lot of people lost their jobs at the same time that I was looking for a job for myself," Rezeda says. Despite having a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from her home country, that degree was not yet valid in the United States, and she had no American references to list on her resume. She applied to many positions, including entry-level jobs, but was making little progress.

Eventually, Rezeda responded to a job listing for a testing assistant at a COVID-19 clinic operated by Berkshire Health Systems (BHS). Her persistence paid off.

"I had to apply for that job three times before I got it," Rezeda laughs. She found the work rewarding, remaining there almost two and a half years until the clinic closed. By that time, she realized the medical field was where she belonged, but once again, she had to start looking for a job.

"When COVID ended, I faced the same issue — I didn't know where to go next, but I wanted to stay in healthcare," she says. Her experience at the clinic paid off.

"By working at the clinic, I got to meet some great people at Fairview Hospital, and they offered me a part-time position as a registration person in the emergency room," Rezeda recalls. By this time, she was living in Lee and married to her husband, Clayton, with a baby boy named Alexander at home. The evening work schedule meshed well with her husband's daytime job and allowed them to coordinate care for the baby.

Work in the ER was just what Rezeda needed to build her experience and improve her English-speaking skills. She thrived helping others and working in a fast-paced environment. The pandemic led her to a reevaluation of what she wanted to do, ultimately redirecting her career path into healthcare.

"I got more confident with my English and learned the medical terms from the doctors and nurses," Rezeda says. "And I started learning more about the hospital's infrastructure, which is where I first saw the EMTs and the incredible work they do. I thought, 'This is a great way to start a career in healthcare.' That's where I got the idea to become an EMT."

While Rezeda loved her job in registration, she wanted something more hands-on, and she wanted to start gaining clinical experience. She was confident she could learn how to be an EMT, but there was a problem: The program was expensive, especially for someone working in an entry-level position with a young family.

Rezeda thought she would have to shelve those plans for a while, but then, one day last summer, she saw a MassHire advertisement for the EMT program and realized she may be able to attend for free. She started putting the wheels in motion, discussing the idea with her boss at Fairview. Her employer was completely supportive, but by the time they had worked out the details of adjusting her work schedule to allow her to attend, the class was full.

It was an upsetting snag in Rezeda's plans, but she was undeterred, vowing to apply earlier to the next class offering. In the meantime, she spent time working to get recognition of her Russian degree in biotechnology. It was a lengthy process, but she finally received official validation from the Commonwealth, which allowed her to apply some credits towards her education.

"I started considering college, which is hard when you have a small child," she says, but she took the first step by taking some healthcare pre-requisites online — and she applied to BCC. A plan began to form: She would become an EMT, gain experience in the field, get hands-on experience in patient care, and eventually go into a nursing career.

The first part of her plan came to fruition when the next EMT class at Southern Berkshire Ambulance opened up. This time, Rezeda was ready. She was one of the first to apply, and with the help of Tiffany Moreno at BCC, she secured a MassHire grant.

"Thankfully, Tiffany helped us out and found us some grants to find coverage for the class," Rezeda says. The grants covered full tuition for the class, which ran from September to February.

It was a challenging course, Rezeda says, but her hard work paid off, and she passed the EMT exam in March. Rather than start right away as an EMT, however, she applied for a position as an emergency department technician at Fairview Hospital.

"I decided to do that versus working as an EMT, because you get to see more patients in the ER. In the ER, it's a nonstop, faster-paced environment. I wanted more experience like that," says Rezeda, whose work in the COVID clinic was provided good experience for her current job.

"People are possibly having one of the worst days of their life when they come in the ER, so it takes a lot just to be able to manage the emotional load," she says. "I have the type of personality that likes challenging environments."

Now, Rezeda says she is still thinking about a nursing career, but she plans to follow through with her original plan and practice as an EMT.

Our community is a beautiful place to live and raise kids, but major medical centers can be far away. We have good local hospitals, but if something really serious happens, you might need an EMT to take you. It's important to have EMTs in the area. Things happen. EMTs help the community tremendously

.

In fact, things did happen in her own family. Recently, her husband started complaining of weakness. Doctors found an aortic aneurysm, a serious condition requiring surgery. He traveled to Hartford, CT for the procedure.

"It was shocking because he is so young. This is not typical for someone his age," Rezeda says, noting that the incident happened the week she was interviewing at Fairview Hospital. She had to take medical leave, but Fairview welcomed her to her first day on the job on May 12 while her husband recuperates.

"This career allows me to have a flexible schedule to be able to spend more time with my son and my husband. I have met many good people and made friends. That was one of the best things, as I was a new person in the community," says Rezeda. As she looks ahead, she plans to take nursing classes at BCC, with her "most optimistic plan" to enroll in spring 2026.

I'm so grateful for the fact that we have BCC in our area. You can get an education for free, which is amazing, or at a very affordable rate. It gives me a chance to get a degree without making major changes. They have great nursing program, so I can stay in Berkshires, continue working, and be there for my son. You don't necessarily have to attend a big expensive college — it's the same degree. What makes the difference is your own dedication and hard work. Why not just use this opportunity? It's close to your home, you will save money, and at the end of the day, when you are at work, it's your skills that matter. I want people to see that they can do it.