Countless Alfred State College alumni are on the front line of the current battle against Coronavirus. Recently, Alfred State Sports Information Director, Paul Welker, had the chance to have four former Pioneer student-athletes talk about their work on the front line.
Brooke Geibel: Women's Soccer player 2016-18 - Travel Nurse on an assignment at Novant Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, NC
How has coronavirus changed your work life? This pandemic has been difficult for everyone between filing for unemployment to social isolation and mental health. I am grateful that I am able to work, even during scary times like this. I signed up to be a nurse and although I didn't sign up to reuse a mask for several shifts, I continue to love the career path I chose every single day. I think coronavirus made me value so much in life and at work. Having a no visitor policy during this pandemic means healthcare workers are patients' only bedside support... the only one by their side when they get that official covid-19 test results back, when they get that diagnosis of a miscarriage, cancer, through pain, or mental illness. It's truly the first time I've ever been scared to go to work. Not because I am exposed to covid-19, but because I continue to watch patients suffer. I fear for my friends and families health and having the proper staff and equipment to properly treat them.
Are there lessons that you learned as a student-athlete that you have leaned on during this situation? I will start by saying I feel for all the student-athletes that had their season cut short, those seniors that will never get to play the game they love at a collegiate level ever again. All that hard work and off season training to not even have the end goal that you were preparing for. Many people, including myself, have a love for the game/sport. It's their happy place, what keeps them motivated and helps with time management. Being a student-athlete taught me discipline, brought me failures, success, obstacles, and goals in life. It taught me how to take a loss, but also learn from it and use it as motivation for the future. Although it seems as if there are so many losses that covid-19 has brought us, we are also being reminded of our countless blessings and how much we have to be grateful for.
What advice do you give people to stay healthy and safe? This is nothing to take lightly. Protect yourself and others and continue social distancing. Times like this aren't easy, but we are all in this together! Continue to pray for those on the frontline, at the grocery store, patients, family, and friends. And continue to be grateful for our families... whether you are quarantined together, or it be your grandparents/parents that you haven't seen in weeks because you're social distancing to protect them and yourself. Continue to be grateful for our community coming together and supporting local businesses, or the countless number of donations being made. Lastly, find a hobby. Enjoy the outdoors going for a walk, doing yard work, exercising, and use this as a time for self growth or reflection.
Danny Napolionello: Football player - 2012-2015 - Dispatcher for the Manhattan FDNY and a volunteer fireman for the Valley Stream Fire Department
How has coronavirus changed your work life? With work, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the work load and changed experiences throughout the day, making normal 12 hour shifts into back-to-back 18-hour shifts, hearing terrible stories and seeing lives being lost all day long, every day. With the volunteer fire service, it has changed drastically. Not only does our day-to-day responses change and the way we do the job but Covid -19 has directly impacted our department as well as myself. In the middle of March after a week long of work and responding to fires and other emergencies I came down with symptoms. After waiting a week for testing I got the results that I was positive and I needed to quarantine for 2 weeks. Around the same time, before and after, I had symptoms many members of the department did as well. Unfortunately we lost a 33 year member to the virus after he responded to a Medical emergency with a positive case of covid-19.
Are there lessons that you learned as a student-athlete that you have leaned on during this situation? The most valuable lesson I learned as a student-athlete that helped me thought this situation is a lesson I use everyday of my life. Hard work and selflessness, to be a volunteer fireman you have to be a complete selfless human being. My brothers and sisters that, everyday, take on the act of running into a burning building, responding to vehicle emergencies, and now responding to medical emergencies that involve Covid-19 patients are the definition of selfless, hard working human beings.
What advice do you give people to stay healthy and safe? Stay at home! If you do not need to be outside stay at home and clean everything. If you need to be out then wear your masks, wipe down everything you come into contact with and be safe. These are very very dark times in this world and we all need need to be responsible and be safe. This will all be over soon, maybe not tomorrow but it will, keep your faith.
Taylor McCarthy: Softball Player - 2012-2015 - New York State Trooper
How has coronavirus changed your work life? Coronavirus has changed my work life in many small ways. As a figure in law enforcement I like to be seen in and around the community to give the people a sense of security. However, with the Coronavirus we can still patrol the community, but it doesn' have the same effect as being more personally involved. There's a long list of new policies and procedures that we have to follow due to the Coronavirus which in some incidents makes the job more complicated.
Are there lessons that you learned as a student-athlete that you have leaned on during this situation? My years at Alfred as a student-athlete has taught me how to build strong connections within my teams and classrooms, which I believe gave me the tools to give community members the sense of togetherness in all of the craziness. We are in a very uncertain time, but if we can come together in a community, much like a sports team, it'll be easier to get through.
What advice do you give people to stay healthy and safe? My advice would be if you're able to, stay home. If you're an essential worker make sure to wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose, and wear gloves. Try to wash your hands as much as possible. Yes, you're to stay home but my advice is to get outside, go for a run a work or run, get your body moving and get fresh air while still practicing social distancing. Make time to talk with your friends and family over the phone or via some type of facetime.
Ally Vargeson: Soccer Player - 2012-2015 - Patient Registration in the Emergency Department at Corning Hospital
How has coronavirus changed your work life? Since taking precautions for the COVID-19 my job hasn't changed much, but enough that it has become more stressful. When a patient comes into the ED, I am to sign them in, ask their symptoms, and take them to the room. I still do those things with the addition to asking "screening questions" to determine which room they will be placed in. If they are an infected person, placed in an inappropriate room, it could expose more people to the virus. I am exposed to each and every person that walks into the front door of the ED. I have to wear PPE my entire shift to protect myself.
Are there lessons that you learned as a student-athlete that you have leaned on during this situation? I would say my attention to detail and staying calm would be lessons I've learned as a student athlete. I am faced with many sick and upset patients and family members. With visitor restrictions in our facility, it becomes stressful explaining to people why they are not allowed to be with their families in a time like this. If I don't ask the appropriate questions, I could expose more people to the virus if the patient has positive COVID-19 test.
What advice do you give people to stay healthy and safe? Advice I would give to people about what is happening in the world, STAY HOME! Limit any possible exposure you can. Don't go out in public if you don't have to. But if you do, wipe down the areas you are touching, wash your hands and don't touch your face. Take this seriously, those of us in healthcare are seeing this first hand. This is not a joke. Do your part in flattening the curve!
Written by Alfred State College Sports Information Director, Paul Welker. If you are a former AMCC student-athlete and on the front line of the Coronavirus we would love to tell your story - contact AMCC SID Nikki Slatcoff at slatcoff@amccsports.org