From Classroom to Crisis: Student Uses Training to Save a Life

When Chasity enrolled in the Community Health Worker program at CSN, she was not looking for a career change. She was looking for a way to do more. A mother, a student and the founder of a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, she already spent her days serving her community. She wanted the credentials and training to do it better.

That decision paid off sooner than she expected.

Earlier this year, Chasity found herself in an emergency situation where a community member had overdosed. Drawing directly on Narcan administration training she received through CSN’s CHW program, supported by the Resilient for Nevada Grant, she was able to respond.

“That experience reinforced how vital this education is and how quickly these skills can make a difference in the community.”

The CHW program at CSN provides training in crisis response, communication, community outreach and harm-reduction strategies. For Chasity, those lessons did not stay in the classroom. She described the moment of the overdose response as a direct application of what she had been taught.

“I was able to apply my CHW training outside of the classroom by administering Narcan during an emergency situation, using the exact training we received through the program,” she said.

Building Bridges Across Las Vegas

Chasity’s impact extends beyond emergency response. Through her nonprofit She Shines Again Project, she has established an active partnership with Alexander Library, where she applies her CHW training to support community-based services, outreach and resource connection. She also works with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department through a youth mentorship program, engaging young people through positive community involvement.

Much of that work is self-funded, a fact that speaks to the depth of her commitment. She described returning to school not as a disruption to her community work, but as an extension of it.

“Returning to school felt like the most responsible way to turn that calling into real, measurable impact.”

Why Chasity’s Story Matters for CSN

CSN’s Community Health Worker program, backed by the Resilient for Nevada Grant, was designed to meet a growing need for trained health workers in Southern Nevada. Stories like Chasity’s show that the investment is working. Students are entering the community with practical, evidence-based skills and using them immediately.

For a region that has faced significant public health challenges, including high rates of substance use and limited access to mental health services, having trained community health workers embedded in neighborhoods, libraries and youth programs is not a luxury. It is a public health strategy.

Chasity’s path also reflects something important about who CSN serves: students who are not starting fresh, but starting smarter. She brought lived experience, community relationships and a nonprofit she had already built. CSN gave her the framework to make all of it more effective.

“The training I am receiving at CSN has strengthened my ability to respond safely, responsibly and confidently when community members are in need.”

Her advice to fellow students is straightforward: “Trust the process, take your training seriously, and understand that what you are learning has real value, often in moments when it matters most.”