Five seniors in the Department of Respiratory Care at Texas State University Round Rock volunteered in the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival’s medical tent, treating nearly 500 concert goers and staff over the two-weekend festival in October.
Students Bianca Cepeda, Ashley Harmell, Elisa Sanchez, Eliana Hernandez, and Monica Pacheco worked side-by-side with Ascension Healthcare nurses, physicians, and patient care technicians, gaining valuable experience in situations outside of clinics and classrooms.
This year marks the first time ACL has hosted student volunteers at the festival, which was arranged by Nicholas Henry, Ph.D., RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, AE-C, associate professor and director of Clinical Education, and Jacquelyn Schenck, MSRC, RRT-NPS, clinical assistant professor. Anna Kehl, RRT, clinical practice lead at Ascension Healthcare, was also involved in making the student volunteer arrangements.
“They were immensely helpful, and I was very grateful to have them by my side as we worked to triage and treat the many, many patients we had each evening,” Kehl said in an appreciative email to Henry and Schenck. “They never got flustered, never complained, gave service with a smile, and I'm so, so grateful for each of them.”
The students provided critical respiratory care support to attendees, including delivering hundreds of breathing treatments.
Sanchez and Cepeda were both approached about the opportunity because they are officers of the Respiratory Care Student Association, a student organization in Round Rock. The former said she gained the experience of using more critical thinking skills in the field after volunteering at ACL.
“When you’re out there with tents, you don’t have the typical supply room,” Sanchez said. “You have very limited supplies and limited medications. I learned more about how to use your available resources more effectively. The other thing I learned was how to communicate well with other teams while there’s chaos. We had to keep ourselves organized.”
Cepeda’s learning experience was similar to her classmate, but she points to time management as the biggest takeaway from treating attendees.
“We were mainly treating pulmonary patients, but we weren’t limited to them,” Cepeda said. “We could take anybody. We would have to figure out how to get someone started and then turn around to see if someone else is passing out to help them or go help the nurses. Our program set us up for success when it comes to events like this. It shows why this program is the best.”
Due to the success of the student volunteers this year, the goal is to increase the number of students who are allowed to volunteer at next year’s ACL music festival.
“This experience showcases not only the students’ professionalism and dedication, but also the essential role respiratory therapists play in community health, emergency response, and interdisciplinary teamwork,” said Chris Russian, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Respiratory Care. “It also reflects Texas State’s commitment to preparing students who are ready to serve in diverse, high-impact environments where their skills can make a real difference.”
Visit the Department of Respiratory Care website to learn more about the program.