Megan Wichmann sat in her high school English classroom in 2009 and contemplated her new assignment for the month: Pick a career and research it. Wichmann was interested in shadowing a paramedic, so she went on a few ambulance ride-alongs in Johnson County.
Wichmann’s mother’s partner at the time was an Iowa City firefighter, and he asked Wichmann if she wanted to ride along in a firetruck for the day. Wichmann quickly accepted, eager for every experience she was offered.
“I think that’s honestly where I fell in love with firefighting because I get to do EMS and fire,” the Iowa native said. “Then, it kind of took off from there.”
And with each ride-along and conversation, Wichmann’s passion for helping others grew stronger.
Twenty days after Wichmann graduated from Iowa City High School, she went on a ride-along at Station Five in Cedar Rapids.