Upper Columbia Academy: Childhood interest sparked a career path for Caleb Crawford
Ask any 4-year-old what they want to do when they grow up, and there’s a good chance the answer will be, “I wanna be a firefighter.”
For most kids, that’s just a phase, but not for Upper Columbia Academy graduate Caleb Crawford.
“That’s a common goal for kids,” Crawford said, “and I’ve been interested ever since I was little. I just never grew out of it.”
And so Crawford, who now serves as volunteer firefighter with Pend Oreille Fire District 2 in Newport-Ione, plans to make a career from that interest, and has already taken the first steps.
“I joined the junior firefighter program a couple years ago,” he said. “One of my cousins did it and I went with her one time and it seemed like fun. I loved it from the start. There were very few departments with junior programs, so even though it was an hour drive from school, it was my only option.
“We used to live in Newman Lake, and I went to all their open houses then. I didn’t think about it for a while, but my interest was reignited when I went with my cousin, and around that same time there was an electrical fire at UCA and it was chaos – no one knew what to do or how to help.”
Crawford credits UCA teacher Jesse Melendy, a retired firefighter, with guiding him in the right direction.
Melendy says that Crawford didn’t need much guidance: “He is super self-motivated and a perfect candidate for a career as a firefighter. He’s done everything he needs to do to get started.”
Crawford has graduated from the Grizzly Mountain Fire Academy, which he attended three days a week during the winter, and will spend this summer doing wildland firefighting throughout Washington. He hopes to begin an Emergency Medical Technician program in the fall, and when that’s completed he plans to apply to different area departments.
Crawford has attended and boarded at Upper Columbia Academy for all four years of high school, and he says he has loved the experience.
“I didn’t really get homesick when I started there,” he said. “I like being able to do things on my own, and I’m with my friends pretty much all the time. UCA has offered me the opportunity to develop adult-like independence at a young age.
“When it comes to my career, I want to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. I’m pretty quick to get things done, and I don’t want to wait around to start working. I couldn’t work at a desk job; I like being outside and on my feet. I’m a decent student, but I don’t like to sit still.”
“As a firefighter, you can see the results of your work in a positive way, and a career as a firefighter aligns with my spiritual beliefs, serving others with kindness. You’ll see tragedy, but you will also see a tangible difference that you can make. I’m still nowhere near or have seen as much as most senior firefighters, but I’ve seen enough to know that a difference can be made.”