![Alexander Oki ‘28 picks up trash in the lower parking lot Feb. 20. According to Keep America Beautiful, the majority of the trash found on both roads and waterways consists of fast food wrappers and packaging, receipts and plastic beverage bottles. Clubs like the National Honor Society (NHS) offer students the opportunity to earn service hours by cleaning up the trash in the parking lots. “[The trash] makes us look very unhygienic and unmotivated to be a proper school,” Emberlyse Vidal ‘28 said. “It makes us look like we just don't care about our students' environments.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260220_1355020-2-1200x904.jpg)
Opportunities like this simulation should not be viewed as isolated field trips, but as examples of what career and technical education can achieve when learning becomes immersive and collaborative. Just weeks after the fatal multi-vehicle crash and pileup on Interstate 25, near Castle Rock on May 15, the importance of coordinated emergency response has become even more visible across Colorado. In situations like these, first responders must communicate quickly, adapt constantly and make decisions under pressure. By recreating those environments, students move beyond theoretical learning and gain experience that feels directly connected to future careers.
Organized by Criminal Justice teacher Aaron Paul, EMT Instructor Mathew Rice, and Fire Science teacher Allen Chapman, the simulation brought in students from Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch High School, Legend High School, Mountain Vista High School, Thunder Ridge High School, and more. In partnership with the theater program, the participants wanted it to feel realistic. Students also worked alongside professionals from organizations including UCHealth, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado National Guard, and the event even received coverage from 9NEWS.
“Before the scenario started, we were given paper scrubs to wear so that EMT students could access major ‘injuries’ and we put on makeup to mimic scrapes and blood,” Paisley Wilson ‘27 said. “We were told to really get into character and scream, cry and whatever really spoke to us to give the students running the simulation a realistic and unpredictable experience. It was such a fun and unique experience.”
Students in Criminal Justice, EMT, and Fire Science roles had to communicate quickly, adapt constantly, and rely on one another in fast-moving, high-stress situations that mirrored real emergency response scenarios. According to the students, collaborative discussions were the biggest factor that kept the experience flowing.
“Communication was a big factor because all of the different emergency responders have come together and communicated what victims were the worst and who we needed to help first,” Alina Sabalevskaya ‘27 said. “Some changes were how we helped everyone, and personally, on my side, how we were going to get the person responsible for the accident accountable. We communicated about how to handle victims and trying to save their lives.”
In preparation for experiences like this, every Criminal Justice student also completed a dedicated class period where they were required to become CPR certified, reinforcing the expectation that these skills are not just theoretical, but directly applicable.
“My favorite part of the trip was being able to see all the EMT and Fire Science people in action and see how everyone works together in such a chaotic area,” Divya Jena ‘28 said. “It felt so fun seeing everyone doing their own thing but all working together at the same time.”
That sense of coordinated chaos is exactly what makes experiences like this valuable. In traditional classroom settings, students often develop skills in isolation. In this simulation, they were able to see how those skills intersect under pressure and how emergency response depends on teamwork across multiple roles rather than individual performance.
“Putting all of my skills into action felt so amazing because I am working towards my future and learning how to do it properly and efficiently,” Samantha Andress ‘27 said. “You can only learn so much in a classroom, so being able to put my skills onto the field really put into perspective how much of an impact I can make on people’s lives and that felt pretty good.”
As schools continue to expand CTE pathways, experiences like this raise an important question: are students being prepared only to understand careers, or to actually step into them? This simulation suggests that when education becomes experimental, students don’t just learn about future positions, but they begin to understand what it feels like to be responsible for them.
