“I love working as a public health professional so much, I would do it for free if I could.” Pathways High alumnus Liam Hoyer made this statement during an engaging 90-minute interview covering his postsecondary experiences. Liam not only discovered his passion while at Pathways High, he also had the opportunity to nurture it through a hands-on internship. Liam shared his inspirations, perseverance through challenges, and accomplishments since graduating from Pathways High in 2020. Liam came to Pathways High in 2019 after Tamarack Waldorf closed its high school. Due to the similar hands-on, project based learning model at Tamarack, Liam said his transition to Pathways High was smooth and positive. “All the Pathways High staff were so helpful and accommodating. They asked what I was interested in and wanted to support my passions.” Specifically, after Liam expressed his interest in pursuing a career in fire fighting, Pathways High helped him secure an internship with the North Shore Fire and Rescue Department while he simultaneously took classes at MATC in the afternoons, earning his EMT certification prior to graduating from Pathways High. From the earliest days developing Pathways High, the founding team understood the value of internships to grow one’s network as well as validate or rule out a career field. Liam’s career development exemplifies the benefits of early access to internships in launching a career. After working at his fire department internship, Liam’s interest in emergency medical services grew and he quickly moved to Bell Ambulance. He shared that he loves the opportunities for growth and specialization on the EMT side which is evident in both his current full-time role as a Milwaukee County Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Clinician and his part-time position as co-founder and coordinator of a licensed student-run emergency medical services (EMS) organization at Marquette University, the first of its kind in Wisconsin! Both of these roles share the common focus of public service. As an MIH Clinician, Liam provides proactive, personalized care aimed at preventing significant health events, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations by focusing on: - Chronic conditions management including diabetes, heart failure, and COPD; - Substance use and overdose prevention; and - Mental health resource navigation. In early 2025, Liam and his girlfriend Avary Benavides Shefland, a nursing student at Marquette University (MU), wanted to start a student-run organization providing EMS care on MU’s campus, an area covering roughly 9,000 residents. When they could not find a model on any WI college campus, they researched programs outside the state and even attended a national conference. Together they developed a proposal and budget for their organization and began approaching various MU groups to solicit support. After receiving numerous rejections, they weren’t deterred. They continued to network and promote their idea in order to identify a champion which they finally found in MU Assistant Chief of Police, Jeff Kranz. Subsequently, the MU Office of Risk Management and General Council lent their support and Liam and Avary received seed funding to launch a pilot MU EMS program in February 2026 with services provided three days/week by 20 MU students with an EMT licence and oversight by Aurora Health Care’s EMS Team. Beyond being the first licensed student-run EMS provider on a college campus in WI, the MU program is one of only a handful of programs across the country that pay their EMTs. While the pay is below market rate for EMTs, it is the highest paying campus job at MU. MU EMS now provides services four days/week year-round, dispatching EMTs via radio across the dispersed urban campus that includes the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Liam noted that approximately half of their patient population is homeless. While an ambulance or fire fighter will also be dispatched to the call during this pilot phase, Liam indicated that MU EMS will eventually be able to relieve the Milwaukee fire department of low acuity calls. MU EMTs are often the first responders along with the MU police department due to their proximity to the call, serving a critical need as, contractually, private ambulances in Milwaukee have up to an hour to respond to calls. MU EMTs travel to calls in a donated van. As founders of nonprofit organizations quickly discover, Liam is spending more time honing his fundraising skills by writing grants and soliciting donations for equipment such as patient simulation mannequins ($6,000+) and a used ambulance ($150,000 - $200,000). Due to their hard work and perseverance, Liam and Avary received the MU Police Dept. Partnership Award in May 2026. MU Assistant Police Chief Jeff Kranz glowingly described Liam’s leadership contributions to the MU EMS start-up, “Liam brought knowledge, experience, and perseverance that pushed this program over the hurdles (and there were many) we had to navigate. Since the program became a reality, he has continued to offer his guidance and experience to help my students provide the best service possible to Marquette University and beyond. I can honestly say this program does not get off the ground as smoothly as it did without Liam's hard work and selfless contributions.” Liam's passion, entrepreneurial spirit, and perseverance exemplify the mindset of the Pathways High community. At the end of the interview, Liam shared the following advice for Pathways High students, “Stick with your gut. When people tell you you can’t do something, pursue your passion and don’t give up.” Liam’s words and actions are a great reminder to all of us of the positive impact derived from pursuing one’s purpose through love and hard work.