When Joshua Oliver signed up for Trinity Valley Community College’s Pharmacy Technician program, he never imagined he would one day use his training to save a life. While completing his clinical hours at Gibson Pharmacy in Seven Points, that’s exactly what happened. 

While completing clinical hours at Gibson’s, Oliver sprang into action after a frantic mother ran in seeking help for her four-year-old son, who was choking on a large piece of a lollipop candy. Despite the absence of paramedics and uncertain bystanders, Oliver relied on training and instincts to perform the necessary back blows appropriate for a child of that age. 

“She came in screaming, so I was curious to know what happened,” he said. “When I came up front, she explained that her child was choking and couldn’t find help. I knew I had to jump in and help. I was nervous, but I had been trained on this. Ultimately, ’d rather a kid live than die and regret not helping.”  

His swift and calm response dislodged the obstruction, saving the child’s life. Witnesses, including the attending pharmacist, praised his quick thinking and action, noting that even trained professionals had frozen in the moment. 

“He kept repeating to himself, ‘This is what I was trained to do,’” said Pharmacy Tech Program Instructor Stephanie Fuller. “No student ever hopes they’ll have to use life-saving skills in real life, but when the moment came, Joshua didn’t hesitate.” 

This isn’t the first time Oliver has been dubbed a hero. Oliver is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. After graduating Mabank High School in 2019, he chose to enlist. 

“In the Air Force, we are trained to be leaders and have the ability to take charge in situations when others can’t,” he noted. “So, I definitely think when the choking happened, that helped me go into a reactive mode to help the child and the mother.” 

With the help of the GI Bill, he was able to continue his education at TVCC. When considering college’s, TVCC stood out for two reasons: affordability and a familiar face would be on campus to support him. 

“I work at CVS Pharmacy and my mom [Toni Oliver] works here at TVCC as the Registrar Specialist,” he shared. “When I decided I wanted to grow in my career and that I had the GI Bill to assist in the funding of my schooling. TVCC made sense. It’s close to home. I can continue my education and have it paid. Plus, I found a great group of supportive friends and joined the Student Veterans Association.” 

Oliver is now preparing to graduate from TVCC with an associate on May 16, and plans to pursue a degree and career in physical therapy.  

“My mom taught me a lot in regard to massage therapy,” he added “When I was in boot camp, I had a friend that was injured and with the lessons my mom taught me I was able to help him. It helped him get through boot camp without being held back. I’ve seen a lot of being going through issues where physical therapy helped, and I want to help people.” 

He also shared that with his knowledge in the pharmacy side of health, he will be able to better assist and understands the needs of patients when treating individuals in physical therapy.  

“Watching our students grow and seeing them make a real difference in the world is what it’s all about,” Fuller shared the story with pride, noting how Oliver’s actions highlight the true impact of the Pharmacy Tech Program. 

Oliver’s heroism is a reminder that education doesn't just prepare students for a career, sometimes, it prepares them to be a hero.