Meet the Squad

Three Girls Prep Division seniors turned their passion for medicine and service into The Hive Saves Lives, the student-run medical response team serving the Benedict’s community.

Many high school students earn Basic Life Support or Emergency Medical Responder certification. Few, however, initiate and operate a medical response team for their school community, a feat that Girls Prep Division seniors Irene Andah ’26, Juah Awlime ’26, and Kayani Jegatheeswaran ’26 have managed to pull off. Established in fall 2025, The Hive Saves Lives is a squad of 30 Gray Bees who are EMR- or BLS-certified and prepared to respond to a range of medical situations and emergencies on the Property. Glenn Cassidy, Ed.D. ’90, who has taught the EMR certification class at St. Benedict’s Prep since 2007, moderates the club. 

Student training in first aid has been in effect at St. Benedict’s Prep since the early days of The Backpacking Project. According to Dr. Cassidy, EMR-certified students were needed to provide medical assistance on the five-day, 55-mile trek on the Appalachian Trail. Many Gray Bees served in this capacity over the years. As interest in EMR certification heightened in recent years, Tiffany Regullano ’25 and Satiana Alvarez ’25 researched the elements of creating a student-run medical response team for an independent study last year.

Turning an idea into action

Meanwhile, Irene and Juah, who have applied to Bachelor of Science Nursing programs for college, became EMR-certified and shadowed the Vailsburg Rescue Squad, a community-based volunteer emergency medical services organization founded and run by David Morgan ’87. Best friends since freshman year, they began exploring ways to apply the knowledge and skills they were gaining more broadly. “Originally, we thought about creating a club where we would volunteer at a hospital,” said Juah. After floating their ideas by teachers and staff, they became convinced that Gray Bee’s skill sets could be deployed directly on the Property. “We figured time is of the essence in any emergency,” said Irene. “There are other students who are EMR-certified who know what to do before help comes. We started to build from there.”

The program the duo built with input and logistical help from their classmate, Kayani, is an exceptional student-run operation, especially among secondary schools. “Rare is a good way to describe it,” said Mr. Morgan, the principal of Safety First, the Newark-based safety training and health services company. “Benedict’s does not treat teenagers like teenagers. Students are empowered to make real-world decisions. You have these types of medical response teams at companies and on college campuses. Why not high school if qualified students have the desire and the drive to do it?”

The Hive Saves Lives requires a commitment of 10 volunteer hours each month. A member from the Boys and Girls Prep Division is on call each school day. You can spot them by their bright red first-aid knapsacks and the walkie-talkies they use to communicate, since mobile phones are off-limits to students during school hours.

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“You have these types of medical response teams at companies and on college campuses. Why not high school if qualified students have the desire and the drive to do it?”

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Organizers say it wasn’t hard to recruit members or sustain the roster of active volunteers. “We knew anyone interested in medicine would want to be involved and would come to the first meeting,” said Kayani. Members are prepared to assess a situation and ensure the safety of responders and people nearby. They can check vitals, tend to minor injuries, help stabilize a seizure or asthma attack, and, since they are BLS or EMR-certified, perform CPR if needed. They’ve not yet been called to a health-related incident on the Property, which medical service team members say is a good thing. To keep their skills fresh, students attend a monthly training session. 

Clinical experience beyond The Hive

Outside of The Hive Saves Lives, Gray Bees are eager for more opportunities to gain experience in the health sciences.  Last summer, Irene and Juah completed the SMART (Science Medicine and Related Topics) at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dean of College Placement and Career Development Susanne Mueller recommended they apply for the pre-college enrichment program designed to cultivate students’ interest in health science and research. The Vailsburg Rescue Squad, which was introduced as a Spring Phase course at St. Benedict’s in 2025, provided even more direct experience on the front lines of care.

“We started with eight kids who had taken the EMR class and gave them an immersion experience,” said Mr. Morgan. The Benedict’s alum reached out to his vast contact list of preceptors — experienced, licensed professionals in nursing, medicine and allied health — who serve as mentors and role models for students or newly hired staff. “Each day, students were exposed to a preceptor other than me who had a wealth of experience as paramedics, nurses, EMTs and behavioral health specialists. They would go on calls with us, and when they were comfortable, provide basic patient care.”

In between calls, students were drilled on medical procedures, “to make sure their knowledge base was really firm, so when they were in a position to do something, they had a bit of confidence to get them over the hurdle of actually trying it,” Mr. Morgan explained. “We increased the scope of it, so it wasn’t just ambulance time.” The immersion is intended to motivate students to earn the next-level certification of EMT.

Things get real, real fast

Juah, who trained with Vailsburg Rescue Squad over the summer, is currently enrolled in the EMT certification course at Rutgers. Her first call riding with Vailsburg involved a patient overdose. “I was very nervous on my first time, and they just let me watch,” she recalled. “After that experience, the EMTs explained, ‘this is what you can do and how we can help.’ It helped sensitize me to medical emergencies and overall, helped me become more confident in my abilities as an EMT.”

“Things get real, real fast,” said Irene, who trained with Vailsburg during the inaugural Spring Phase project. Encountering a situation where the patient had died before the ambulance arrived was an awakening of sorts. “I didn’t know how to react, but I just wanted to do more,” she recalled. “I realized this is something I probably have to go through, so I think it was good that I got that experience.” 

Irene also volunteers in the emergency room at Cooperman Barnabus Medical Center in Livingston. She’s observed many emergency cases and procedures as a volunteer and hasn’t yet decided on a nursing specialty. Juah plans to use her EMT certification to gain more clinical experience and earn money in college. She is interested in becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Kayani was admitted early decision to Smith College as a QuestBridge Scholar and plans to become a psychiatrist.

Prospects look good for the medical response team after its founders graduate. “I’ve talked to some of the younger girls who have expressed interest in the medical field and they want to join,” said Irene. It’s important to these young women that the initiative strengthen the leadership legacy of the Girls Prep Division, now in its sixth year of operation at Benedict’s. “I think it’s good that this is coming out of the Girls Division because we are still kind of new to the School,” said Irene. “The Hive Saves Lives impacts a lot of people,” Juah added. “I hope it can grow outside of the School, get more public recognition and work with different hospitals.”

That is beginning to happen. In March, NBC4 New York aired a segment on the medical response team for the channel’s Her Story series. The Vailsburg Rescue Squad course will also be available for Spring Phase 2026. Dr. Cassidy hopes to expand the curriculum and offer the EMT certification course at The Hive. Once students become certified EMTs, he and Mr. Morgan plan to place an ambulance on the Property to respond to neighborhood calls. “These students make us proud,” Mr. Morgan stated. “Everybody who went to Benedict’s has got their moments, but this is another proud moment for the alumni to say, ‘I went to the school that has a student med team on it.’ It’s another feather in our cap as members of the Benedict’s community.”