Presented by President Reif: In honor of Officer Collier’s sacrifice, we created this award so that his spirit would live on at MIT. Presenting the medal each year will offer a fresh opportunity to express our gratitude that he lived and worked among us … that he graced our community with his commitment to service … and that he served us with his whole heart.
This year, the Collier Medal goes not to one individual but to 56—each of them a member of the MIT Emergency Medical Services … MIT EMS. For more than a decade, this student-run volunteer ambulance service has come to the aid of members of our community … day and night. All across the campus. And their specialized medical skills are magnified by a distinctive MIT blend of leadership and problem solving.
As one nominator said, “The time, the energy, and the expertise they make available to the community goes far beyond what is expected of a student group.” The minimum EMT commitment is 49 hours a semester. But many will volunteer that much in a single week, sleeping in bunk beds in the basement of Stata, ready to respond to someone in need. And their role in the community goes far beyond that of on-the-spot emergency response.
MIT EMS volunteers have provided vital input in shaping student health policy. Every year, they also provide CPR training to hundreds of members of the community. And because they are not just students, but MIT students … EMS volunteers even designed a new ambulance—one of the safest in the country.
Sean Collier himself worked closely with MIT EMS volunteers. And they impressed him so much that he wrote a long letter praising their efforts: “I have a deep appreciation for the amount of dedication and sacrifice required by the volunteers of MIT EMS,” Sean wrote, just a few months before his death. “… And it is my belief that you may not be recognized enough for your efforts.”
On the night of April 18th, it was MIT EMS volunteers who responded, to transport Officer Collier to Mass General Hospital. They performed their duties with the skill and compassion we have come to expect. Many had been Sean’s close friends. So it is with full hearts and the deepest appreciation that we honor Sean’s wish – that the volunteers of MIT EMS receive the recognition they truly deserve.
Congratulations to Melodi Anahtar, Ben Artin, Taylor Ayral, Aaron Bell, Ana Burgoes, Annie Dunham, Aubin Dupree, Ben (Michael) Eck, Ahmed Eltahir, Mark Forgues, Katherine Goldsmith, Marian Heman-Ackah, Fatima Hussain, Kianna Jackson, Maddie Jenkins, Maria Joh, Aileen Johnson, Aditya Kalluri, Tushar Kamath, Kristine Kim, Carin King, Nicholas Kwok, Roo-Ra (Vania) Lee, David Levonian, Amy Liu, Kristina Lozoya, Sarah Lund, Brian Malley, Noel Morales, Morgan O’Neill, Jennifer Park, Jennifer Plotkin, Jon Reimer, Colt Richter, Jorge Rosario, Alyssa Rothman, Adam Sachs, Yonah Schmeidler, Juliann Shih, Jacqueline Simpson, Dylan Soukup, Clara Stefanov-Wagner, Benjamin Steinhorn, Shanasia Sylman, Maximilian Tang, Jordan Taylor, Jonathan Terry, Vipul Vachharajani, Debra Van Egeren, Anita Wamakima, Daniel Wang, Sarah Wilder, Chris Williams, Lawrence Wong, Devin Yan, and Kyle Yuan.