Three Schreyer Scholars give back to the community through firefighting

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While running into burning buildings may not be the most popular extracurricular activity, for three Schreyer Scholars, firefighting is how they get involved with the Penn State and local community.

Scholars Kara Stover, Tsunami Sharmba and George Kadavil have each volunteered for State College’s Alpha Fire Company during their time as students. Although they have different majors and motivations for joining Alpha, these students possess overlapping passions for helping those in need and a drive to give back to their community.

State College’s Alpha Fire Company has served the Centre County region since its creation in 1899. The company responds to emergencies across the borough of State College, as well as the Ferguson, College, Patton and Halfmoon Townships. University Park students are eligible to join the company after the fall semester of their first year, as Alpha requires the completion of one full academic semester.

Getting Started at Alpha

As a third-year criminology and psychology major, Kara Stover’s passion for firefighting sparked at the age of 16, after helping her dad respond to a house fire. The experience inspired her to join her hometown company’s junior fire team, where she completed a series of basic trainings and learned the mechanics of being a part-time firefighting volunteer. 

Stover knew she wanted to find a local station in State College to continue firefighting while attending Penn State. Stover, like many incoming students, joined Alpha during her first year to follow her interests and form new connections in the Penn State community.

“People laugh when I say that firefighting is my hobby, but it's what I do for fun. I think of it as a club, where you meet all types of people,” Stover said. “Alpha Fire Company is so well known across the state of Pennsylvania, so, when I found out that the company was in State College where I'd be attending school, I applied as soon as I could.”

Tsunami Sharmba — who is completing an integrated graduate and undergraduate (IUG) degree, graduating this fall with a master's degree in energy and mineral engineering; bachelor's degrees in environmental systems engineering and philosophy; and a minor in watersheds and water resources — joined the company after arriving at the University Park campus for the remainder of her Penn State 2+2 program. Sharmba wanted to find an outlet to channel her physicality and inherent call to serve others. She described how becoming a volunteer firefighter seamlessly merged these distinct areas of her life and eased her transition to a new campus. 

“I did the ROTC program for two years at Penn State Harrisburg and I enjoyed the physical aspect and the community aspect. I wanted to apply that into something service-related once I got to University Park,” Sharmba explained. “What stood out to me about Alpha Fire Company is that our coverage area includes the campus, allowing me to serve the people that I walk past every day.” 

For fourth-year biology and psychology major George Kadavil, being a firefighter was his childhood dream. Kadavil said he always admired the way these first responders courageously put their needs aside to help others, no matter the danger. He explained how after being accepted to Penn State, he saw this new, independent chapter as the perfect opportunity to volunteer for a fire company.

“Ever since I was a kid, when my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say that I wanted to be a firefighter. Firefighters are willing to risk their lives for other people, and they do so much for the community,” Kadavil said. “I wanted to be like them and protect my community in a way that others may not be willing to do. After doing some research for stations in the State College area, I found Alpha Fire Company and submitted my application.” 

From putting out housefires before their morning classes, rescuing residents from car collisions, or replacing smoke detectors in the on-campus housing, Stover, Kadavil and Sharmba have assisted in a variety of distress calls throughout Centre County. 

Stover shared how she and other student volunteers once responded to an early morning house fire before their classes. The experience, while challenging, showcased to her the reality of being a student volunteer, she said.

“We received a call that there was a building fire at 2:44 in the morning. Although we had a class that day, me and the other volunteers woke up and responded to it. We were at the scene for a while, and after that we had to go back to the station and clean up everything. By the time we were showered, it was time to go to class.”

Academic Impact 

The trio has improved their undergraduate performance and extracurricular involvement through their work at Alpha. Suiting up and responding to calls with the company has strengthened their skill set in areas important for academic success, such as problem-solving, teamwork and self-confidence.

For example, Sharmba shared how the problem-solving and critical-thinking techniques gained while firefighting correlate directly with her graduate research. Her current research focuses on how the toxicity of dust impacts mining workers’ health. Sharmba must efficiently draw connections across various points of data, and pivot if something goes awry with her experiments in the lab. 

She explained how the improvements in her decision-making skills and ability to problem-solve under pressure is a direct result of her volunteer work at Alpha.

“There is a lot of overlap between problem-solving as a firefighter and as a student. I do a lot of experiments where I have to figure out what I did right, what I did wrong, and why,” Sharmba said. “Things also go wrong when responding to a fire call, where I need to be able to think quickly on my feet. I became a firefighter for the same reason I became an engineer, as I wanted to do something to serve the community and use my problem-solving skills.” 

Kadavil highlighted how the teamwork skills gained as an Alpha volunteer are directly applicable to his Schreyer experience. Similar to a fire engine squad, the honors college is rooted in collaboration and forming partnerships between Scholars of diverse backgrounds.

“Working at Alpha allows you to gain practice working in a team, and how to value each member. For example, a usual firefighter crew is 6 people: driver, officer, knob, backup, hydrant and the break, where everyone in that team is important,” said Kadavil. “These collaboration skills apply to my experience as a Scholar and working with other students. Schreyer is a culmination of different departments and colleges, and we are all working together toward making a better world.”

Finding Balance 

Firefighters are prepared to respond to a variety of potentially dangerous situations at any moment throughout the day. This level of preparation requires an extensive amount of training to ensure efficiency in operating equipment and mastering rescue procedures. Alpha volunteers achieve this by participating in multiple training sessions that mimic the high-intensity scenarios they may face out on the field. Stover shared that the process to gain her firefighter certification, while challenging and time-consuming, was a rewarding aspect of her journey at Alpha. 

“There’s a quote that floats around at Alpha that says ‘you can't train too hard for a job that could kill you,’” Stover said. “So, that’s why we train extremely hard, we want to make sure that the person sitting next to us is just as competent as we are, and that we can trust that person. From rope rescue to engine emergency response training, you're looking at squeezing in hundreds of hours of training throughout each semester.” 

With these fire trainings each week at the station, coursework, and other campus involvements, these Scholars have to thoughtfully balance their time at Alpha and their university commitments. 

Kadavil has been a participant in a variety of activities throughout his Penn State career, including the club frisbee team, No Refund Theater, and undergraduate research. He shared how being organized with his schedule, making sacrifices where he can, and knowing when to say no, have all been key to balancing his involvements at Penn State. 

Stover shared how finding a healthy balance between firefighting and academics is slightly more difficult due to her status as a live-in volunteer. The Alpha Fire Company live-in program provides housing to volunteers at all three company stations in Downtown State College, Patton, and College Township. These tenants are on call for specific days each week, fulfilling separate live-in volunteering shifts in lieu of paying monthly rent. 

Stover capitalizes on Schreyer’s priority scheduling to divide her time as a firefighter and student, creating pockets of quiet time each day where she can focus on her coursework and her mental health. 

Futures in Firefighting 

For Stover, Kadavil, and Sharmba, their student experience, academic interests and career trajectories have been profoundly impacted by their experiences with the company. 

Sharmba has recently taken on a new role with the company’s public education outreach, now leading the fire prevention program. Here, she provides fire safety resources and shares educational presentations across Centre County. This includes teaching classrooms about firefighting procedures, educating daycares on fire prevention tactics, and even bringing THON families into the central station for personal tours. 

Sharmba emphasized how having the opportunity to connect with community members on a personal level and help inspire a new generation of volunteers is truly what motivates her to continue her firefighting work.

“One of the most rewarding parts of our community outreach is when children in the community come up to me and excitedly say they want to be firefighters when they grow up. The joy on their faces—and even on older kids who step out of their comfort zone just to sit in a fire truck—reminds me how special these moments are,” Sharmba explained. “Through these interactions, I’ve had the privilege of getting small glimpses into so many lives, and it’s truly beautiful to see how much the people of State College uphold and appreciate the Alpha volunteers.”

Originally struggling to settle on a topic for her honors thesis, Stover now plans to focus her research on how mock jurors perceive arsonists based on their motivations and mentality behind setting fires. She explained how she hopes to translate this fire-based undergraduate research into a potential career as a fire investigator after graduation. 

“I found a way to incorporate all of my interests in criminology, psychology, and firefighting into my academic career by selecting arson as my thesis topic,” Stover said. “I want to look at the mentality of the offenders, and why they chose arson over another type of crime. In terms of my career, I am also considering using my experience with firefighting to try and become a fire investigator.” 

Kadavil plans to take a gap year before heading off the medical school, where he will continue firefighting and working as an EMT. He will cherish how firefighting at Alpha provided him with the opportunity to selflessly serve his community and fulfil a childhood dream.

“When I graduate I want to continue with firefighting by volunteering at my local fire station while working as an EMT. I have had a great experience in the first responder realm, as being a volunteer makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger,” Kadavil shared. “With Alpha, I finally found the perfect way to protect and give back to my community.”