The Path That Found Her: How Edith Campa Turned an Unexpected Career Change into a New Purpose

Long before emergency medical services (EMS) became part of her story, helping people had already been the thread connecting every chapter of Edith Campa’s life. Fresh out of high school, she dreamed of studying psychology, but practical advice and the realities of paying for college led her toward business instead. As a first-generation college student, she earned associate degrees in behavioral sciences and business before completing a bachelor’s degree in business. 

She started as a bank teller and spent the next 14 years building a career in banking, eventually rising into executive leadership.  

Despite her professional success, the accomplishments she remembers most were not the promotions or titles she earned, but the opportunities she had to help others. Whether teaching financial literacy to underserved communities, mentoring young people through organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, or leading teams, Campa found purpose in helping people grow. 

“I’ve always been people-oriented,” she said. “I want to help people succeed.” 

Then life changed. When her son was presented with an opportunity to pursue his athletic dreams, Campa and her husband packed up their family and moved more than 200 miles from Ventura County to Riverside County, California. The move meant leaving behind the banking career she had spent years building. 

“It was just one of those moments where you know what you have to do,” she said. 

With fewer leadership opportunities available in her new community, Campa accepted a role in an entirely different industry, becoming director of people and culture for a construction company. She loved it. Leading people, developing culture, and building something new felt like the perfect next chapter. 

Then, just a few years later, the company eliminated her position. “I felt like I lost three years of my life trying to find myself again,” she said. At the time, it felt like another setback, but today, she sees it differently. “Sometimes rejection is simply redirection.” 

Finding EMS 

While searching for her next opportunity, Campa came across a recruiter position with American Medical Response (AMR), one of the nation’s largest ambulance service providers. On paper, it made sense, as she understood recruiting, leadership, and, most importantly, people. 

EMS, however, was another story. “It was a completely different language,” she said with a laugh. As she traveled to schools, career fairs, and community events, introducing students to careers as EMTs and Paramedics, she found herself wanting to better understand the profession she was representing. 

The question came up often. “Are you an EMT?” “No,” she would answer. “I’m the recruiter.” The answer never felt like enough. “I wanted to understand what they were experiencing,” she said. “I didn’t want to simply recruit EMS. I wanted to understand their world.” 

So, at 40 years old, with a full-time job, five children, and no healthcare background, Campa enrolled in EMT school. She didn’t need the certification to do her job, but she chose it because she believed the best way to support future EMS Clinicians was to experience the journey herself. 

What began as a way to better connect with Candidates would become something much more. It would become a discovery of where she truly belonged. 

All In 

Going back to school was both exciting and intimidating. Most of Campa’s classmates were just beginning their careers, while she was balancing a full-time job, a husband who frequently traveled for work, five children, and a household that never slowed down. “I have a busy life,” she laughed. 

Traditional weekday classes weren’t an option, so she enrolled in a weekend EMT program that met every Saturday for 17 weeks. The schedule demanded nearly every free moment she had. Before class, Campa prepared breakfast for her family. During lunch breaks, she drove home to cook another meal before returning for the afternoon session. After class, she made dinner, spent time with her family, and studied late into the evening. 

Birthdays, holidays, and family gatherings often gave way to textbooks and flashcards as she remained focused on earning her EMT certification. "When I commit to something, I give it 150%," she said. 

One wall in her home soon disappeared beneath handwritten notes, diagrams, and medical terminology. Her husband practiced EMT skills with her, while her oldest daughter helped care for her younger siblings while Campa attended class. Even her children began learning EMS terminology from the study notes covering the walls of their home. 

"There is a village behind everyone's success," Campa said. "Everybody somehow played a small piece in the bigger picture." 

That village extended far beyond her family. Her coworkers encouraged her, EMS Clinicians answered questions at community events, her instructors challenged her to keep learning, and classmates formed study groups that reinforced concepts and built her confidence. 

Looking back, Campa doesn't see the journey as something she accomplished alone. She sees a community that supported her every step of the way. Together, they helped her achieve a goal that required determination, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to learning. 

For the first time, EMS no longer felt like a profession she was learning about, but one where she truly belonged. 

Walking in Their Boots 

After finishing EMT school at the top of her class, Campa faced one final milestone, and that was the National Registry certification examination. 

For months, she had listened to Candidates share stories about the examination. She heard about the nerves, uncertainty, and pressure. Some passed on the first attempt, while others needed more than one try. Like many future EMS Clinicians, she wondered what her own experience would be. “I think I put more pressure on myself because I recruit these Candidates every day,” Campa said. “I wanted to experience exactly what they experience.” 

She prepared the same way she approached everything else, giving it everything she had. She acquired study resources, joined review sessions, and filled another whiteboard with notes. Still, she couldn’t quiet the doubts. “I was my own worst critic,” she said. “I kept thinking, ‘What if I don’t pass?’” 

On examination day, Campa quietly left home without telling anyone except her husband where she was going. “I didn’t want everyone asking how it went if I didn’t pass,” she said. When the examination ended, she walked out feeling cautiously optimistic. “I felt good,” she said. “But then you start replaying every question in your head.” 

Later that afternoon, the email arrived. The first word she saw was “Congratulations!” “I just started crying,” Campa said. The moment was about far more than passing an examination. It represented every early Saturday morning, every late night spent studying after her children went to bed, every family gathering she missed, and every moment her family stepped in so she could continue chasing a goal that once seemed impossible. 

“My faith, my family, and an incredible community of EMS employees who supported, encouraged, taught, and believed in me made this possible,” she said. 

For Campa, earning National Registry certification wasn’t simply another accomplishment to add to her résumé. It was proof that she truly understood the experience of the people she now recruits every day. “I don’t just recruit EMS anymore,” she said. “I am EMS.” 

More Than a Recruiter 

Today, Campa approaches every conversation with future EMS Clinicians from a place of firsthand experience. She knows what it feels like to question whether there is enough time, energy, or confidence to succeed while balancing work, family, and school because she has lived that journey herself. "I understand the journey behind becoming an EMS Clinician," she said. "It allows me to connect with Candidates in a completely different way because I've now walked that path." 

She hopes her story reminds others that purpose does not always arrive on the timeline we expect. EMS was never part of her original plan. Then again, neither were banking or construction, but each unexpected chapter gave her the experiences, perspective, and resilience that prepared her for the work she does today. 

Although her career took unexpected turns, one thing remained constant, and that was her commitment to helping others reach their potential. Whether through financial education, mentorship, leadership, or recruiting the next generation of EMS Clinicians, Campa found meaning in helping people succeed. EMS didn't change that purpose. It simply gave it a new direction. 

"I want people to know it's never too late," she said. "Sometimes we get comfortable where we are, but stepping outside your comfort zone can lead you exactly where you're supposed to be."  

She continues recruiting the next generation of EMS Clinicians while preparing for the next chapter of her own journey. She hopes to gain field experience, continue learning, and eventually mentor others entering the profession. 

For Campa, earning National Registry certification wasn't the finish line. It was the foundation for everything she hopes to accomplish next. 

The Path That Found Her 

Looking back, Campa no longer sees the career changes, unexpected moves, or setbacks as detours. Instead, she sees each one as a step that led her to a profession that brought together everything she valued: service, leadership, lifelong learning, and helping others realize their potential. 

"I truly believe everything happens for a reason," she said. "Sometimes we don't understand it in the moment, but later you realize you were exactly where you were supposed to be." 

Campa didn't set out to become an EMT. She simply wanted to better understand the people she served. In doing so, she discovered a profession that felt like a natural extension of who she had always been. 

The path she planned never led to EMS, but the path that found her sure did.