I have found out that as 2020 was drawing to a close, SAMANTHA CRISWELL was recognized by the City of Mesquite as an “important female leader of our Community.” They did this while recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees all women the right to vote, by “highlighting important female leaders of our community’s past and present.”
Samantha has been a firefighter and paramedic with the Mesquite Police Department for nineteen (19) years, and while being a firefighter is her primary job, it is only one of the many ways she continues to serve the Mesquite Community.
Criswell also recently completed nursing school (RN) and now works parttime as a nurse in the emergency room at Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite.
As if this is not enough to keep her busy, she also works a 3rd job at the Center for Diagnostic Imaging in DeSoto, Texas (15 years).
Although quite busy with day-to-day work, Samantha has long been an enthusiastic volunteer in many areas during her “free times.” However, as a result of the ongoing trials of the Covid-19 pandemic, volunteer activities have changed this year for many folks.
During more “normal” times, this busy firefighter/ nurse has volunteered as a counselor at Muscular Dystrophy Camp. But now, she has started volunteering with “Care Van,” a mobile shot clinic that serves children who are between the ages of two (2) months and eighteen (18) years of age and is a project of First United Methodist Church in Forney, Texas.
Added to all this, she is a faithful and avid “blood donor” and volunteers at various community activities in Mesquite.
Samantha (9/21/76), daughter of Sam and Janice Criswell and a 1995 Honor Graduate of FHS, (In fact all three and her brother, Sammy, were FHS Grads.!) was one of my outstanding students during her “English” years at Forney High School and was a Cheerleader (4 years) and member of the National Honor Society.
Samantha played/participated in volleyball, basketball, cross country, and track and still made time to serve as Class President for three years, in addition to being a member of the Student Council those years and Student Body President her Senior Year!
In her spare high school time, Miss Criswell competed at the Local, State, and National levels as a member of Business Professionals of America, One-Act Play and other Theatre activities, and various U. I. L. Academic competitions in the Math areas.
She was also an avid and dedicated member of Forney Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF), of which I was often an invited guest during my high school years a while before Samantha came onto the scene!
In 1995, she began her college career, and in 1999, SAMANTHA CRISWELL graduated from Texas A&M College in College Station with a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences, after gaining valuable practice and experience as a member of the Recreation and Parks Club.
While at A&M, Samantha was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority and participated in many service projects with the group—esp. volunteering at Nursing Homes and as a part of “organized” after school programs.
In her spare time at college, this busy young lady used some of her “extra time” to work as a “Crossing Guard” and as an employee of a Gift Store.
Besides the awards mentioned in the opening of this article, I found out a few more distinctions Samantha Criswell has racked up since beginning her career with the Mesquite Fire Department in April of 2001. Most impressive to me is the fact that she was awarded the “Life-Saving Award” twice—2012 and 2018—and was FIREFIGHTER of the YEAR in 2017. She has also continued her “outside the firehouse” work by taking part in work at the Ronald McDonald House, Addressing the Mesquite Day gathering, and being part of the “MDA Fill-the-Boot Campaign” and a “camp counselor” for 15 years!
I wish her the best of fortune and continued blessings as she makes a good impact upon our world. I wish her fun and joy with her “outside interests,” which she lists as running, spin class, and reading (goal of 15 books per year not job-related)—I knew her English Teachers would “rub off” on her. And I hope every time I see her in the future that it is at a football game or in the post office or at a restaurant—and not driving up with flashing red lights!
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