Teresa Booker, a health sciences student at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, is set to graduate on December 13, 2025. Her time at the university included an incident earlier this year where she used her training to assist during a medical emergency on campus.
Booker grew up in Tampa and comes from a family of USF alumni. She served 13 years in the U.S. Air Force before enrolling at USF St. Petersburg in 2023. Her experience as a dental assistant and First Aid/CPR instructor provided her with practical skills. While on her way to a Biology of Aging class, she saw a visitor collapse near The Campus Grind due to cardiac arrest.
Booker responded to calls for help. She assessed the situation and determined that the CPR being given was not effective. She took over chest compressions while others called 911. Her actions helped maintain oxygen flow until university police arrived with an AED. After two shocks from the AED and continued CPR, the man regained consciousness…