Early College & Career Pathways

Student Spotlight

Jasmine Canas saves a life using training received as part of the Early College Program

New Mission High School junior and Hyde Park resident Jasmine Canas said she didn’t think she’d ever have to use her CPR and first aid training she received at Harvard but, then again, most people who end up saving someone’s life with these tools probably don’t think they’ll ever need them either. Canas said she was at a soccer game earlier this spring during a local tournament. She and her teammates were talking, fooling around, just passing the time before the next game started.

“It was around 12, and it was a very, very hot day, I remember that,” she said. “We were eating and talking about school and soccer when our coach started choking.” At first no one thought it was a serious situation, probably just water maybe going down the wrong way or something similar. But soon Canas said she immediately felt something was up. “I just have a thing where I observe people and I’m looking at her to make sure she’s good thinking eventually she will swallow, but she didn’t,” she said. “I started getting scared and nervous. I mean I wasn’t even sure I wanted to put it into use (her medical training), but you know, it’s someone’s life on the line and I was kind of scared, but I asked her, ‘Do you want me to help you?’ and she nodded yes,” she said. Canas said she started with compressions to try to dislodge any airflow obstruction and then, when that wasn’t working, went into the tried and true Heimlich maneuver. “I did it and she started throwing stuff up. She starting to speak but still sort of choking so I bent her slightly over to tap her back 10 times.” Canas said eventually, once the serious choking had subsided, the coach was able to speak and said she still had something stuck in her throat. So Canas said she and the other coach gave her a Clementine to help push it down and that seemed to do the trick. “Eventually she swallowed it and she was good,” Canas said.

Canas’ love of soccer started when she was small, watching Barcelona games with her uncle to cheer on his favorite player, Lionel Messi. “My family, they love soccer, especially my uncle,” she said. “I thought I’d give it a try and I started playing it.” Canas said she had a friend who played club soccer and now, years later, she plays in the New Mission Varsity Team and clubs across the city, like the Soccer Unity Project. She said she always roots for Messi, whether he’s on Barcelona or Inter Miami. Though her medical training led to the great outcome for her coach, Canas said she really isn’t leaning toward the medical field. “I tried it and being a doctor just isn’t for me,” she said. “I just can’t deal with blood.” So she decided to study engineering and is now taking classes at Wentworth through New Mission for advanced placement credit through the Early College program at the school.

New Mission Head of School William Thomas said he’s proud of Canas’ accomplishments and amazed her quick thinking was able to save a life. “When I found out about it, I was super excited the skills she learned at school were actually used in real life,” he said. “She was able to remember the techniques and utilize them to save someone’s life. It’s really exciting and it validated the work that we’re doing here. We’re very proud of Jasmine and excited she was able to help out in the community.” Director of Early College and Careers Pathways at New Mission Gretchen Lahey said preparing their students for real life is what it’s all about, and she said this was a great example of how this kind of early learning can pay dividends. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re doing this, is that students are prepared for college once they leave and have important skills to take with them,” she said. Lahey added she believed Canas’ lessons had a positive impact on everyone’s lives around her, as it disproved the student mantra, “But I’m never going to use this in real life!” She said it was a definite benefit for everyone at the school. “And I think the coach would agree to that as well,” she said.