Student Experience: Jermaine Lewis

Q: Tell me about your story. What led you to the firefighting path?
I'm originally from Lubbock. It’s a small, tight-knit town where everybody knows each other. It’s the kind of place where you might go down one street and see your cousin, then on the next street, you see your cousin’s auntie. It’s a real community, and growing up there taught me the importance of teamwork, family and especially helping others.

When I was in second or third grade, we had a career day, and firefighters came to talk with us. Their stories about how they help others stuck with me. The fire chief said something that I’ve never forgotten: “When people call you, they’re at their worst, so you have to be at your best.” That hit me hard. That’s the kind of strength I want to have. Being a firefighter isn’t about money; it’s about courage and heart. You have to genuinely care about others and want to make a difference. From that day on, I was curious about everything to do with firefighting. Why the trucks are red, why they use dogs, what it really means to be a firefighter.

When I moved to Dallas in sixth grade, that dream really started to bloom. Dallas was so much bigger than Lubbock. More people, more opportunities and more ways to make a difference. I started joining junior firefighter programs, going to trainings and conventions, and meeting real firefighters.

Q: Why did you choose Dallas College?
I was accepted to an academy in Arizona, one of the best firefighter schools in the country, but something didn’t feel right about that morally. It didn’t feel right to go to Arizona to learn then just leave them to come back to Dallas where I really wanted to make a change.

Dallas College offered me a way to stay close to my family and still chase my dream. Plus, the Dallas Promise program is a huge help with tuition. It just made sense to build my foundation here, in the same community I want to serve.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?
My mom. She sacrificed so much for me and my brothers. Maybe she had dreams she couldn’t chase because she had to take care of us. So, everything I do is to give her a better life. The kind of life she deserves. I want her to travel the world and know her sacrifices weren’t in vain.

Q: What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I don’t want to leave just one legacy in one category. I want to go down in history for sacrificing myself and my pride for the greater good. I want to be talked about for future generations to come. I want to be in your history books. On a personal level, whenever someone meets me, I want them to walk away feeling better than they did before. I just want to be that light — the person who makes people smile, think positively and believe in themselves again.

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