RVCC’s Kyle Durgin is one of six respiratory therapist students selected by the American Association for Respiratory Care to attend their annual Congress event in New Orleans, LA. Over the course of four days, students will be immersed in symposiums, presentations and networking events to learn about the latest trends in respiratory care.
Kyle is not only the first student to be chosen from River Valley Community College, but he is also the first student from New Hampshire to be invited. Kyle says he feels “honored [and] grateful to the Vermont & New Hampshire Society of Respiratory Care for sponsoring [him] and affording [him] this incredible opportunity.”
After training as a Wilderness EMT and noticing the decline of medical staff during the pandemic, Kyle realized that he wanted to become an RT. When choosing a college, he said “I looked at many different institutions, searching for the best Respiratory Therapy program. Once I had my first conversation with the program director, Kathy Hillard, I knew she was not just an ordinary professor but an extraordinarily experienced and competent Respiratory Care Practitioner. That goes for her colleague and freshman class professor Ken Czechowitz as well… Attending River Valley Community College has been a life-altering experience for me. Small class sizes, extremely affordable tuition, caring professors, and access to world-class teaching hospitals are just a few reasons my time at RVCC has been so incredible.”
Kyle plans to use his education and this experience to support the respiratory care field. He says, “my long-term goal is to become a change-maker on the national level by increasing the spotlight on RTs, expanding the scope of practice, and recruiting the next generation of medical professionals.”
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.