Preuss Scholars Learn Life-Saving CPR Skills

The Preuss School UC San Diego supports San Diego middle and high school students who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college, providing scholars with the skills necessary to make a change in society and transform their communities. Now, it’s equipping its 800+ students with another critical tool: life-saving CPR skills. Through a partnership with Revive & Survive San Diego, all Preuss scholars will receive hands-only CPR and AED training, starting with over 100 seventh-graders. 

Revive & Survive San Diego, launched in February 2024, is an initiative between the County of San Diego Emergency Medical Services and the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego that aims to train 1 million San Diegans in hands-only CPR. As of November 2024, the initiative has trained over 260,000 people. 

“Cardiac arrest outcomes generally tend to be worse among people from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, and training Preuss scholars aligns with Revive & Survive San Diego’s focus on health equity,” said UC San Diego School of Medicine student and Revive & Survive San Diego volunteer Christian K. Beÿ. “These events aim to familiarize students with what a cardiac arrest looks like and teach them how to perform hands-only CPR. We hope to give them the confidence and skills needed to react when every second counts.”

Preuss scholars were trained by 25 volunteers from the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Compress & Shock Foundation, Student National Medical Association, Emergency Medical Services Club at UC San Diego and Revive & Survive San Diego. Instructors conducted 45 minutes of hands-only CPR training inside The Preuss School’s Walton Center gym. 

“Preuss scholars interacted with UC San Diego students who represent a variety of diverse backgrounds and are very close in age to them,” said The Preuss School Superintendent Helen V. Griffith. “That representation allows our scholars to see themselves as future professionals public health, safety and wellness.”

The event also included a career fair featuring health care and public safety professionals, organized by The Preuss School's College and Workforce Development Coordinator Shaoni Bandy. Participants included the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science Dean Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D.; emergency medical physician Dr. Faith Quenzer; and Southwestern College’s Fire Science Program Director and former deputy chief of fire and rescue for the city of San Diego Lorraine Hutchinson, among others.

By pairing hands-on training that will benefit their communities with meaningful connections to experts in a variety of fields, The Preuss School works to empower its scholars with the skills and vision to affect change. Said Griffith, “Through this interaction and training, our scholars can see themselves as having the potential to save a life and pursue a healthcare career of their dreams."