Posted: Jul 02, 2024
Irvine Valley's Alumnus of the Year as part of the 2023-24 Athletics Awards is Logan Post.
When Post began long-time Athletic Trainer Janet Olsen's Prevention and Treatment of Athletic Injuries course in the Fall of 2008, he had little idea it would lead to a Bachelor of Science degree in the discipline and a decorated career at local Beckman High School.
Fast forward just a few years, and it's now Logan teaching the same course and leading more than 40 IVC/BHS students a year through a Sports Medicine internship in partnership between the two schools.
It was the first such program in the state in 2015 and has since flourished under Post's nurturing hand.
The partnership hit new heights this academic year.
Though thrust into a position one never hopes for, the community was incredibly fortunate to have Post and his students in the right place at the right time.
Earlier this year, Tustin Unified School District administrators, school board trustees, and the Rotary Club of Tustin-Santa Ana gathered to recognize Post and students Frederick Kweon and Owen Kelso for their life-saving efforts.
The two students were attending a Beckman football game with Post as part of their sports medicine internship course through the district's Applied Medical CTE Pathway and dual enrollment program at Irvine Valley College.
They were shadowing and learning from Post on the sidelines in his role as an associate faculty member at the college, when a Beckman assistant coach fell to the ground and stopped breathing.
Post began administering chest compressions while Kelso grabbed a face mask and Kweon performed rescue breaths. The students also worked together to locate and use an AED - automated external defibrillator - to resuscitate the coach before paramedics arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital.
"Logan, Frederick, and Owen's actions saved this coach's life," said Beckman Principal Dr. Donnie Rafter. "It is amazing to see a teacher and his students use the concepts learned in class to actually save a life."
"I feel very fortunate that my students and I were able to respond the way we did," Post said. "You hope you never have to deal with emergency situations like this, but when they do come up you also hope that your training takes over.
"This was very much the case that night. We go over all sorts of emergency situations in class and they learn the skills of CPR and AED use, but to put it into practice is a lot to ask of even seasoned responders. The way Freddie and Owen stepped up was incredible, and I'm thankful they were able to use those skills in a real and meaningful way."
