Community
Latest Sage Hill News
Sage Hill Alumna Tried Finance Before Firefighting Sparked Her Interest
Thick smoke filled the apartment from floor to ceiling as Emily Lassiter ‘17 and a fellow firefighter attempted to make their way to a bedroom engulfed in flames.
Her training kicked in – breathe calmly from the oxygen apparatus strapped to her face. A thermal imager helped her to navigate through the enveloping haze.
“I can't see anything. I don't know what this apartment looks like. I don't know where anything is. I don't even know where the fire is. All I know is where there was smoke coming from the outside of the building. That's a little bit more heart racing than what I experienced the first time I was on a fire,” Lassiter said.
As a firefighter with the Orange County Fire Authority in Laguna Woods, Lassiter’s station annually receives more calls for service than any other in the agency’s jurisdiction. Upwards of 80% of calls are for emergency medical aids, largely helping older residents of the master planned retirement community.
Athleticism and physical fitness played a huge role in Lassiter’s years as a multi-sport athlete at Sage Hill School. She was a member of the 2013 CIF Division 3A Champion girls’ volleyball team. On the swim and dive team, she set a school record in 50-meter freestyle. Lassiter was also an accomplished multi-event track and field athlete.
When Lassiter graduated from Sage Hill, she intended to find a career in corporate America and ultimately earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Oregon in 2020.
The Emerald Bay resident landed a “safe job” as an associate in the economic and valuation services division of accounting giant KPMG. Less than two years into the job, she decided routine office life wasn’t for her.
“I think the biggest piece of it was that I was miserable working at a desk nine to five and… it was more like eight to 9 p.m.,” Lassiter said. “Then it was OK, what can I do that's outdoors and active?”
She considered emergency department nursing and law enforcement but ended up texting a family friend serving as a fire captain to ask if she would be a good fit for the fire service. Lassiter went on a station tour and met firefighters and paramedics. Saving lives and the station lifestyle was almost exactly what she was looking for, she said.
In 2022, Lassiter successfully studied for her Emergency Medical Technician certification. The Glendale Fire Department hired her as an ambulance operator later that year.
During her first tour as a first responder, Lassiter responded to an incident where police found a man unresponsive on the floor of a Glendale apartment. Lassiter and her partner determined the patient wasn’t breathing but still had a pulse.
“We were able to pull him out and get him on air. By the time the firefighters came, we were able to immediately get him on the gurney and transported, which gave him a much better outcome,” Lassiter said. “I’m not entirely sure what actually happened to him, but the likelihood of him surviving is a lot greater because we were able to do something.”
Lassiter went on to join the Santa Ana College Fire Academy to pursue her career in firefighting. Her days typically started at 4 a.m. meeting up with her classmates in a park near the Joint Powers Training Center in Huntington Beach. They checked that each other’s uniforms and equipment were squared away before assembling at 5 a.m. to set up and stretch before two hours of physical training. The paramilitary academy experience is rigidly structured for 19 weeks and “feels really long,” Lassiter said. Daily, she was physically exhausted after four hours of drills on the training grounds, also known as “The Grinder.”
In June 2024, Lassiter graduated with her academy class and was hired by the Orange County Fire Authority, which serves 1.8 million people across 23 cities and unincorporated Orange County.
As a high school student, Lassiter said she only considered a handful of career paths.
“I felt like college wasn’t optional – most of the [alumni] that I know are doctors, lawyers or in finance – but it's so funny because looking back on it, I don't really think that was the case at all,” Lassiter said.
She notes that many friends have taken entrepreneurial tracks to start their own companies. Looking back at college, Lassiter said she has no regrets about her journey because she has a useful understanding of personal finance.
“I really enjoy my job, and I think Sage pushed me more than anything to lean into things that matter and whatever fills you up rather than what everyone else thinks that you should be doing,” she said.
Sage Hill School
A college preparatory independent day school for grades 7-12.
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.