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The woman who saved a toddler from nearly drowning in a West Palm Beach lake is being recognized for her life-saving actions.
Jermya Adams performed CPR on the baby, saving his life, and Tuesday, she was surprised with a full scholarship from Palm Beach State College at their annual STEAM luncheon. The luncheon supports students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
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Adams told WPBF 25 she thought this event would just be a great networking opportunity because she recently moved here from Tallahassee and doesn’t know many people.
Instead, she got the ultimate surprise when she was presented with a $25,000 full scholarship to PBSC to pursue her dreams in the medical field.
“I just want to say thank you to Palm Beach State College. Thank you all so much for looking into me, seeing something in me, and wanting me to be a part of your family,” Adams said.
The school gave her the check as a token of gratitude for her selfless actions.
Last week, WPBF 25 first spoke to Adams after she saved the life of the 22-month-old who wandered away from his West Palm Beach home and fell into a nearby lake.
Previous Coverage: Toddler pulled from lake after wandering away from West Palm Beach apartment
She is a certified nursing assistant and a mother to a 4-year-old daughter, and she credits both that and her past experience caring for her grandmother for her quick actions.
“I can tell when somebody is in respiratory distress. I know the signs, I know how it is,” Adams said.
Now, she plans to use her scholarship money to pursue her dream of becoming a respiratory therapist.
“This is major for me, and I just want to say thank everyone that played a big part in this and to getting me to chase my dreams, to take a further step in the medical field, I just want to say thank them and thank God, thank God,” Adams said.
Adams also credits her faith for being in the right place at the right time.
She works night shift, so she’s usually asleep when at the time of day when the baby was rescued.
She also said that she is enrolling in school immediately so that she can go on to continue helping others.
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