Lab science and EMS alum sees bright future in emergency medicine

Eli Yavtushenko envisions a career in emergency medicine. Whether that career is in an emergency room as a physician or on a helicopter as a flight medic, he is sure to thrive. 

“I love emergency medical services (EMS) with all my heart,” he said. “I’m hoping medical school will work out – but if not, I will become a flight medic and work on a helicopter. Man, I love helicopters.” 

Yavtushenko’s college and career journey is already taking off.  

He is a graduate of three NWTC programs – Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, and Laboratory Science Technology (LST). He received the LST Outstanding Program Student Award in 2024. After graduating from the LST associate degree in May 2024, he transferred to UW-Green Bay where he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human biology with an emphasis in health sciences and minors in chemistry and psychology.

A moment of celebration: Eli graduates from the Laboratory Science Technology program, May 2024.

With the passion he has for EMS and his excitement for the future, it may seem surprising that just a few years ago, Yavtushenko felt stuck – mired in depression.  

“I was fresh out of high school, and I was deeply, deeply depressed,” he said. “I did not have any goals. I did not see a future ahead of me.” 

For Yavtushenko, NWTC helped “turn it all around.”  

“I gave NWTC a chance, and from day one, it kept me going,” he said. “They changed my life. In some ways, they saved my life. I got to find my passion. I found my true purpose in life as a first responder.” 

In addition to being the place where he found his purpose, NWTC is where Yavtushenko built solid relationships, including long-lasting friendships with his instructors.  

“I had the most passionate and knowledgeable instructors one could imagine,” he said. “They know what they’re talking about, and they love talking about it. I come to visit as often as I can. We talk about oxygen free radicals in blood, and it’s absolutely incredible. I love it, and I will miss it a lot.”

“NWTC provided the best environment for me to thrive in,” said Yavtushenko. “They provided a foundation for me as a person, as a student, as a professional. They set me up for success, in my career as a first responder, and they set me up for success academically for my university currently. And I got to make some lifelong friendships along the way.” 

Q & A with Eli Yavtushenko

What inspired Yavtushenko, a Ukraine native, to pursue an emergency medicine career? What has been his most influential class? How has mental health been a factor in his higher ed journey?  

Learn more in this Q & A. 

Why did you choose to go into lab science technology, EMT/AEMT, and human biology? 

I chose LST because I needed the prerequisites for a premed program at a university in Chicago, and when I called the NWTC Admissions Office, LST was immediately recommended to me. I did not end up in Chicago, but I have absolutely zero regrets because this opportunity introduced me to NWTC.  

My plan is to graduate from UWGB with a Bachelor’s in Human Biology and go to medical school to become an emergency room physician.  

I chose emergency medicine because I am fascinated by first responders. Since I was about four years old, I wanted to be a firefighter. Unfortunately, when I was sixteen, I was diagnosed with a medical condition that put an end to that dream. I will never be a firefighter.  

That dream had kept me going in the darkest of times, when my entire life was falling apart around me, and I felt like there was no purpose in any of it. With the diagnosis, the dream became unreachable. So, I was depressed for a while. Then, in my senior year of high school, I got a chance to take an entire semester of just healthcare related courses and I fell madly in love with it. Immediately after graduating high school, I applied to NWTC and never looked back.  

While getting my EMT-Basic license, I started talking to a combat medic back home in Ukraine, and she was a huge inspiration for me. Unfortunately, she was killed in combat last year, but her legacy will forever stay with me. She was the coolest person I have ever met, and her compassion made me love life just a little bit more. I got an Advanced EMT license last semester in her honor. I hope to one day become at least one tenth as cool as she was.  

What did you love most about NWTC during your time here?  

The thing I love most about NWTC is its people. They see us individually. They see our goals. They see our passions. They want to see us succeed. I got to work with some absolutely incredible professionals in their fields. I got to work with instructors and scientists and EMS providers. We got to do research projects in a technical college. It was absolutely mind blowing. 

What was your most impactful class at NWTC?  

Organic chemistry – it is my most favorite science class I ever took in my entire life. I did not realize how much I would love it until I took it. Also, I truly loved my capstone project where I got to spend the whole year designing and implementing a research project about blood. It was done under the mentorship of my cell biology instructor who is probably the most passionate person I've ever met my entire life. He's like one of those crazy scientists. It was so cool to see him in the lab – just see him glow with the research done around him. Technical colleges typically don't provide this kind of experience, so it was truly a one once in a lifetime kind of opportunity. 

Eli presented his capstone research project, “Making Coagulation Measurement Simple,” during Laboratory Science Technology Spotlight Night in April 2024. Eli is pictured with Dr. Kristen Raney, NWTC president, during the special event.

Most impactful program?

The Advanced EMT program was my most influential program because they truly shaped me as a professional. It was absolutely incredible to learn from all these different EMS providers who absolutely know what they're doing, what they're saying, how they know how to teach you to do things.  

Eli (right row; third from front) and his fellow Advanced EMT classmates, fall 2024

Anything to add?  

NWTC saved my life, in the most literal sense of the word. I was so deeply lost and depressed when I was in high school that I did not see a point in moving forward. I didn’t want to be around anymore. But I gave NWTC a chance, and from day one it kept me going. The friendships I made along the way will stay with me for the rest of my life. I became so much more confident and reassured in my identity, who I am, and what I can do.  

Mental health is tough, and some days are still bad, but I know that I have people in my corner ready to support me at any time, and that completely changed my view of the world. I am forever grateful to NWTC.