As many students are looking towards the future, there are many Central graduates who they can look to as an example. Countless Central Alumni are making a difference in the world.  This includes Kara and Mark Eidson, who currently serve as flight nurses for Erlanger’s LIFE FORCE.

Mark Eidson, a member of the Mr. Central Court, graduated in 2002. Kara Eidson was active at Central. She participated in the marching band her freshman year, and she was a cheerleader from her sophomore year until she graduated in 2004.  She remembers her time at Central fondly.

“I had a lot of great relationships with several of my teachers. I believed those teachers cared for me as not only their student but like one of their own, they cared about my success and I feel like having them helped me always want to reach my potential,” Kara Eidson explained.

For college, she went to Chattanooga State Community College and Georgia Northwestern Technical College. She earned her associate’s degree in nursing. When Kara Eidson began her career, she did not imagine that being a part of the LIFE FORCE team would be a part of her path.

“I didn’t know about it honestly…I just always thought being a nurse was working in a hospital.  As I got more, obviously, educated on things and around trauma centers and things like that and learning what was available, I thought ‘wow, that’s a pretty awesome job’,” Eidson voiced.

Kara Eidson explained that she was led to emergency medical work because of her mother, who was an EMT (emergency medical technician).

“It sounds cliche, but it is in my blood,” she said.

Mark Eidson also attended Chattanooga State. He then began EMT school and working with Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services. He continued as a paramedic and then as a nurse in the Emergency Department.

Becoming a LIFE FORCE nurse took a lot of work for the Eidsons.  They went through extra education, more critical care certifications, and a lot of rejections.

“I love my job, it is one that took a lot of work and investing into. I take care of people in their worst moments and sometimes their last moments, it’s not always an easy task but one I feel God created me for. We don’t always get to see people recover but knowing that you did your best and gave your all into caring for that patient is very rewarding,” Eidson declared.

Mark Eidson, who also serves on the LIFE FORCE team at Erlanger, is the Clinical Educator for LIFE FORCE.

“He enjoys teaching our crews and has moved into an administrative role as the Clinical Educator for the entire LIFE FORCE air medical program,” Kara Eidson explained.

As a family, they enjoy spending time outside with their daughter, Sadie.

Central is proud to have such wonderful alumni to go on and change people’s lives every day.