05/31/2026
🎓 When Shandon Maracle entered the Paramedic program at Loyalist College, he had a clear goal in mind: to bring emergency care closer to home.
A proud 2020 graduate, Shandon came to the emergency services field as a mature student after first working as an electrician. To secure the science credits he needed to qualify, he began in Pre-Health before moving into the full-time Paramedic program at the Belleville campus.
For Shandon, the decision to pursue paramedicine was personal. After seeing family members navigate serious health challenges, he began thinking about emergency response in his own community, and the difference it could make to have care closer to home in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
“My goal going into it was to bring an ambulance to the reserve,” he says.
Shandon graduated during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Like many students in hands-on programs, his final year looked different than expected, but the purpose behind his training stayed the same. Today, he is a Primary Care Paramedic with Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, providing care close to home.
Working in a tight-knit community can mean responding to people he knows, including friends and family members. Those moments can be challenging, but for Shandon, that connection is part of the purpose.
“My mindset is different,” he says. “I want to be able to help the people that I’m close with.”
Shandon credits Loyalist’s hands-on training, practical labs and supportive faculty with helping him build the skills and confidence needed for the realities of the job. His ride-out placement with Six Nations Paramedic Services in Ohsweken, ON, was especially formative, giving him the opportunity to learn in a First Nations community setting that aligned closely with his long-term goals.
When he looks back on his time at Loyalist, the people stand out most.
“The staff were very approachable,” he says. “If you had questions or needed more help, they were always willing to offer their insight and share their own experiences.”
As the class of 2026 prepares for Convocation, Shandon’s advice is simple: don’t be afraid of the next step. “This is what you worked for,” he says. “You’re one step closer to your end goal, so keep pushing forward. Never stop learning.”
To learn more about Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre – the “Place Where We Gather As Family” – and the supports available for Indigenous students at Loyalist College, visit loyalistcollege.com
