One local emergency medical technician graduated at the top of her class last week at the Mississippi State Fire Academy to become a firefighter.

Elizabeth McNeil graduated Thursday from the seven-week National Fire Protection Association 1001 Firefighter I-II course with the highest scores in her class, and she spoke at graduation.

While at the fire academy, McNeil learned valuable skills during her training in and out of the classroom including search and rescue, fire suppression, fire extinguishment, team work, life safety and property conservation.

“It was seven weeks of learning different tactics,” McNeil said.

Joining the fire department felt like the right place for her. She never felt intimidated but instead she was drawn to learning the fire business.

“I’ve always enjoyed serving my community and I really enjoy helping people, especially in a time of need, and I just felt like it was something that I was capable of doing,” McNeil said.

Giving back is something McNeil has always done in her career because it is what she enjoys most.

“My whole adult life has always been very service driven,” McNeil said.

Her career started in her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts where she was a youth worker in after school programs and summer camps helping students with recreation, education and social skills. She then served in AmeriCorps at the campus in Vicksburg as a support team leader where she influenced young adults. When the opportunity to reach her goal of working with the fire department became available, she applied.

She was hired as an EMT in Vicksburg in July 2015.

“I wanted to become and EMT for about 10 [years], and then the interest in the fire service came a little later,” McNeil said.

She has been an EMT for two years and became interested in becoming a firefighter about four years ago. As an EMT, McNeil worked with a paramedic on an ambulance. Now she is qualified to work on any apparatus in the city.

“Whatever the city needs from me whether its to work on a fire apparatus or an ambulance, I can do both, which is really cool,” McNeil said, adding she can’t believe that her dreams have come true.