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By Leia Johnson
“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts. ” –Albert Einstein
Not only does Modesto’s Max Raymond have a dream, but he also has the facts! At the age of four, Max had an encounter that changed his life forever. Dressed up in a firefighter costume, he stood at the corner of his street and meticulously watched his neighborhood firefighters put out a small fire. Once extinguished, they parked the engine next to him and gave him a hat to complete his outfit. He was in awe. Since this experience, Max has dedicated his life to learning about firefighting and pursuing it as a career! He has memorized 32 station tones, toured stations all over the West Coast, and planned his school course to lead him to being a firefighter. He began taking photos of fire engines, the stations he visited, and even the firefighters on the job. At the age of twelve he created the Instagram page @code3_emergency, which now has almost 4,000 followers!! Until now, nobody except his family knew that it was a fourteen year old running the high quality account. He takes incredible photos, I highly recommend that you check out the page! Instagram has given him a platform to share his love of firefighting with people all over the world. Max and his family expressed to me that Stanislaus County firefighters they’ve talked to have been touched by his passion and met him with even more information and excitement. Many have told Max that ‘they were the same way [growing up]’ and can’t wait to have him on the force. The Raymond family is thankful that the firefighters keep our community safe and continue to inspire people with their bravery and kindness.
Max has an abundance of family support for his passion. His parents illustrated to me “It’s his dream, the whole family supports it 110%, even if that means waking up at 10PM to drive him to see nearby firefighters on duty or touring 35 stations in four days”. I think this family’s story is extremely important because it shows that wholeheartedly supporting your child’s interests, and putting in the extra effort, can lead to them finding their source of happiness and can give clarity about future careers. After meeting Max, I have promised myself to truly dedicate myself to my interests, as he has. Have a beautiful, safe July & be sure to thank our firefighters when you see them!
