Jorja Cooper and McLain Whitney Recognized for Their Life-Saving Efforts on Campus
Colorado Mesa University graduate student Jorja Cooper and athletic trainer McLain Whitney were honored with the American Red Cross Life-Saving Award during a ceremony recognizing their quick actions in saving a man’s life on the university’s tennis courts last fall.
The event, held on CMU’s campus, brought together a large crowd, including faculty, staff, student-athletes and representatives from the Red Cross. Most notably, the man whose life was saved, Ryan Scotting, attended alongside his family and friends, some of whom are CMU employees and were present on the day of the emergency.
The award ceremony was a moment of reflection for both honorees, who credited the collective efforts of everyone involved that day.
“I think the award is representative of the efforts of everybody that was there. I’m glad to see the others who played a role that day here at this event,” said Whitney. “We had support from EMS, the Wellness Center, people from the athletic training room and Ryan’s friends. It was just amazing that everybody came together, and we worked as a team,” Cooper added.
The emergency unfolded when Scotting collapsed on the tennis court. His friends reacted quickly, one administering CPR while others called 911 and ran to the CMU athletic training room for help. Cooper and Whitney responded immediately, assessing the situation and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restart Scotting’s heart.
Looking back on the experience, Cooper expressed mixed emotions about receiving the award.
“It’s a very strange feeling. I don’t feel like what I did deserves this award. I was just doing what I was trained to do,” said Cooper. “It's a huge honor and I'm very grateful to accept this award, but at the same time, it was just very fortunate that all of the events worked out the way they did.”
Still, Cooper acknowledged how fortunate the situation was, with the right people in the right place at the right time.
“I’m just so grateful for the education I received at CMU,” Cooper said. “It could have been a very different situation without that training. Seeing how the community came together that day was amazing.”
For Whitney, the experience was a powerful reminder of how fragile life can be and the critical importance of taking action in emergencies.
“That day really brought home the fragility of life and how quickly a situation can change from normal to really bad,” Whitney said. “It showed how quickly efforts need to be made to change that from bad to good again, or as good as it can be.”
Scotting has since recovered and shared his deep appreciation for all who helped saved him.
“My heartfelt gratitude, the gratitude of my family. You can’t imagine,” Scotting said. “CMU provided the facilities, the training and the right people at the right time. Because of that, I’m here today.”
Chrissie Caster, executive director of the Western Colorado Chapter of the American Red Cross, presented the award, highlighting how everyone’s actions helped the outcome.
“A lot of times, people just stand and watch when there’s an emergency. That didn’t happen here. This was a true team effort, and a life was saved because of their swift actions,” Caster said. “Seeing how many people came out for this ceremony was amazing. It was one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen for one of these awards.”
As CMU continues to expand CPR and first aid training among faculty and staff, Whitney hopes that more people will be prepared to step up in emergencies.
“I was happy to hear that there's been a big push for faculty and staff to get training. Having the most people that can respond to something when they see it, and to recognize those things when they see it is important. If it saves even one more life, then it's going to be worth it to countless people."