Jonathan Chapa was at a stoplight with his stepmother when they witnessed a middle-aged man sitting at a green light. Cars kept honking at him and eventually, his car slowly started to roll forward before hitting a streetlight. Chapa immediately sensed something was wrong and ran to check on the man. He was foaming at the mouth, shaking, and had obvious difficulty breathing. The man did not respond to Chapa’s calls to wake up, so Chapa knew he had to begin CPR.
Chapa had just completed a certified nursing assistant’s course and was CPR certified, but he had never performed it on an actual person. Says Chapa, “I was shaking and I was crying because I was so scared the first time.” Chapa continued CPR until medical personnel arrived. The man made a full recovery.
This experience, while nerve-wracking, has uncovered a passion of Chapa’s: helping people. He plans on continuing a career in the medical field and hopes to become a registered nurse. “I just like helping people,” he says.