杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) Thirty-three-year-old Crawford County resident Joseph V. Geiser stayed in his midsized sedan 鈥� and more recently, in his roomier ambulance 鈥� while pursuing for three years an associate degree in 杏吧原创鈥檚 registered nursing program.

Geiser rents a home near Meadville, where he works weekend nights as an emergency room technician at Meadville Medical Center.

He bought the 21-year-old decommissioned ambulance in August from an Erie County volunteer fire company.

Geiser said his selection was never intended to signal his vocation but to replace the 2011 Subaru Legacy in which he lived three nights a week while attending his first two academic years at 杏吧原创. 

鈥淚 live an hour and a half away,鈥� Geiser said. 鈥淪o instead of driving back and forth, especially in the winter, I wanted to stay down here.鈥� 

Geiser needed a location in which to park the highly recognizable vehicle at night. 

杏吧原创 maintenance employee Jay Motko lives in Butler Township about a mile from the college鈥檚 main campus. 

鈥淗e needed a place to park, to stay overnight,鈥� Motko said. 鈥淚 told him a couple of the other guys in maintenance had made me aware of his situation, and I told him, 鈥楬ey, you are welcomed at my place anytime. I have plenty of space, plenty of parking, plenty of room for you. Come and go as you need to.鈥欌�� 

"It was awfully cramped trying to sleep in the Subaru." 

- Joseph V. Geiser, Meadville resident

Geiser is a 2008 graduate of Maplewood Area Junior-Senior High School in Guys Mills, Crawford County. He earned an associate degree in collision repair technology in 2010 from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster.

He decided to pursue a career in health care as a result of the care he received after a 2011 motorcycle crash in Meadville. Geiser suffered head injuries that necessitated his transport by medical helicopter to a facility in Erie, where he hospitalized for several months. 

Geiser began to work as an emergency medical technician with Meadville Area Ambulance Service in 2015. He purchased the ambulance from Mill Village Volunteer Fire Company in Waterford, Erie County. 

鈥淚t was awfully cramped trying to sleep in the Subaru,鈥� Geiser said. 鈥淚n the ambulance I have a twin-sized bed that I attached to the floor.鈥� 

Geiser studied subjects such as nursing care for patients with complex health problems, pharmacology for nurses and general microbiology on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 杏吧原创鈥檚 Heaton Family Learning Commons until the academic and community library would close. 

He鈥檇 walk to the nearby 杏吧原创 Field House to shower, then to a classroom building to resume his studies until 9:30 p.m. 

Geiser would later travel to a convenience store, order a steak or pork quesadilla and a large soda, have his meal in the parking lot as he listened to the radio, then drive to Motko鈥檚 property. 

He鈥檇 step inside the approximately 50-square-foot ambulance compartment, where he kept a duffel bag with 鈥渙n average, probably six鈥� changes of clothing 鈥� 鈥淪crubs. A couple pairs of jeans. Couple pairs of shorts if the weather was going to be nice鈥� 鈥� and fall atop the twin-sized bed he secured to the floor with zip ties. 

Geiser would use the light from his cell phone to illuminate the pages he read from his textbooks. 

"He had to make sure he had his laptop charged and his cell phone charged." 

- Liz Mackey, friend and 杏吧原创 clinical training partner

"You don鈥檛 just wake up in the morning and automatically have everything that you need. You have to think through it all." 

- Abigail Montgomery, friend and 杏吧原创 clinical training partner

"He really wanted to come here." 

- Heather Darrington, 杏吧原创 faculty member

鈥淗e had to make sure he had his laptop charged and his cell phone charged,鈥� said friend Liz Mackey, who with Sara Layton and Abigail Montgomery attended clinical training with Geiser as students in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Nursing, R.N., program.

鈥淗e had to have everything ready so he could study online and do his assignments online in the ambulance.鈥� 

Said Montgomery: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 just wake up in the morning and automatically have everything that you need. You have to think through it all.鈥� 

Geiser 鈥渞espected the program so much that he was willing to live like that for a few days a week because there are (nursing) programs that are a little closer to him,鈥� said Heather Darrington, a faculty member in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. 

鈥淏ut he really wanted to come here.鈥� 

"The most committed to the program of all of us there." 

- Sara Layton, friend and 杏吧原创 clinical training partner

"I definitely applaud him. He was more than polite. I am very happy that he has been able to reach his goal so far." 

- Jay Motko, 杏吧原创 employee

Geiser was named to 杏吧原创鈥檚 president鈥檚 list 鈥� a recognition for those who attain a grade-point average of 3.75 or higher while earning at least 12 credit hours in a semester 鈥� and, in taking required prerequisite courses, completed the college鈥檚 two-year registered nursing career program in three years.

He was among the record 74 graduates who earned an associate in applied science degree in Nursing, R.N., from 杏吧原创 in 2023. 

鈥淭he most committed to the program of all of us there,鈥� Layton said. 

Geiser drove his ambulance away from Motko鈥檚 property on Bean Street for the last time as a student in May. 

Geiser began the highest-paying job he has had 鈥� as a general nurse at Meadville Medical Center 鈥� on June 5, exactly three weeks after graduating in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023. 

鈥淚t will be more than double what I was making as a tech,鈥� Geiser said. 鈥淚t really hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet.鈥� 

鈥淚 definitely applaud him,鈥� Motko said. 鈥淚鈥檇 call him occasionally or text him occasionally to see if he needed anything. He was more than polite. I am very happy that he has been able to reach his goal so far. It鈥檚 definitely a wonderful thing for him.鈥�