Anna Maria College alumni, firefighters start the new academic year as professors

By Bill Doyle
CFP Correspondent

Anna Maria College, Paxton, prides itself in producing young men and women who make a difference in their communities.
Recent graduates Xavier Harrelle and Matthew Parizo plan to make a difference not only in their communities, but at Anna Maria as well.
Starting on Aug. 29, the good friends will take turns returning to campus from their firefighting jobs in Connecticut to teach a class called, “Principles of Emergency Services.”
“My goal as a professor from day one,” Mr. Harrelle said, “is to get all of these students to whatever places they want to be in life and help them as much as I can.”
“I decided to come back to not only further the student’s knowledge of the fire service but also my own,” Mr. Parizo said. “The fire service is constantly changing and so is the science behind it. You will never know everything, and that is a good thing. Staying on top of this new information and practice is best understood by teaching the material.”
Mr. Harrelle said he and Mr. Parizo are the only recent Anna Maria graduates who will serve this semester as adjunct professors in the Fire Science Department. The professors are predominantly retired fire chiefs and longtime firefighters.
“So they bring a lot of knowledge and experience to the table,” Mr. Harrelle said, “rather than strictly speaking from a textbook, which really is inspiring for a lot of students to recognize how attainable a lot of these bigger goals or dreams or aspirations they
may have are. Putting the professors with those motivated students together in one classroom to really collaborate and work towards accomplishing a greater goal of becoming a firefighter or a paramedic or an emergency manager is the perfect culmination of events.”
Mr. Harrelle and Mr. Parizo are both 23, not much older than their students. Mr. Harrelle said he understands that some may be apprehensive about their age, but he believes they can provide a fresh perspective.
“I can work a shift today,” he said, “and go teach in the college tomorrow and be able to bring back some new lessons that I learned from working the day prior.”
Mr. Harrelle graduated from Anna Maria with a bachelor’s degree in emergency management in 2022 and this summer he earned his master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in fire & emergency services.  
Mr. Parizo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fire science in 2021 and earned his master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in fire & emergency services in 2022. He is currently taking Fire Instructor II and Vehicle Rescue Technician classes through the Connecticut Fire Academy.
Mr. Harrelle lives in Killingly, Connecticut, and works full time as a firefighter and paramedic in West Hartford, about an hour away. Mr. Parizo works full-time for the Old Mystic Fire Department and is a volunteer Lieutenant with the Noank Fire Department in Groton, Connecticut.
“Giving back to community and helping others in time of need,” Mr. Harrelle said, “it’s a sort of feeling you can’t duplicate in many other fields or other aspects of your life. It was something I got addicted to and just continue to love helping people any time I can.”
On his 14th birthday, he became a cadet in the South Killingly Fire Department. On his 18th birthday, he completed his training to become a volunteer firefighter in South Killingly and later that month he became a full-time EMT for an ambulance company in Killingly.
When Mr. Parizo turned 16, he joined the Noank Fire Department in Groton as a cadet and fell in love with the job.
“Giving back to my community and helping people on what may be their worst day is a feeling like no other,” he said.
Mr. Parizo said the most important thing he learned from his professors at Anna Maria was that customer service and fire service go hand in hand.
“People do not call the fire department because they are having a good day,” he said. “It’s normally the worst day of their life because something has gone terribly wrong. The last thing that the public needs is a firefighter who does not care or simply brushes them off.”
“It can be very challenging both mentally and physically at times,” Mr. Harrelle said, “to deliver that high level of service every single day we show up. When somebody calls 911, they don’t want just anybody showing up. They expect perfection on every call and it’s our job to deliver that. So that’s why training and continuing education is so important in this field.”
Mr. Harrelle is a parishioner at St. James Parish in Danielson, Connecticut, and he attended St. James School from pre-school through eighth grade. He said his faith in God, himself and his co-workers helps him battle emergencies with varying levels of danger.
Mr. Harrelle and Mr. Parizo will share a class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and expect no trouble fitting those classes into their firefighting schedules. Mr. Harrelle works 24 hours, then takes 48 hours off, works another 24 hours and then takes 96 hours off. Mr. Parizo works 24 hours and then gets 72 hours off.
Mr. Harrelle said he chose Anna Maria because of the small class sizes and the warm welcome he received from everyone when he visited. He also liked the fact that the fire science department had professors with experience in the field. Now he’s one of those professors.
Mr. Parizo enrolled at Anna Maria because it had one of the few four-year fire science programs.
“I was surrounded by students and faculty that pushed me to do my best and to try new things,” Mr. Parizo said. “Although the Covid-19 pandemic cut my sophomore year in half, the faculty was able to work with us to ensure that students did not fall behind and could accomplish their educational goals.”
Mr. Parizo credited Anna Maria with preparing him to become a firefighter and developing his leadership skills. He served as president of the fire & emergency services association and the commencement speaker.  
Mr. Harrelle said most of the public has no idea that firefighters respond to medical calls and that a majority of their calls involve emergency medical aid, not putting out fires.
Firefighters remove hazardous materials, free people from car accidents and rescue swimmers and injured hikers from cliffs.
“There is a lot behind the scenes that the public does not get to see,” Mr. Parizo said. “The firehouse is a very family-oriented organization, and it is referred to as our ‘second home.’ We cook, clean, and train together. We enjoy being together, but all this time together also helps on the fire ground. It helps to create a bond and trust between the men and women that work together.”