Assistant Professor Jon Longest at graduation received the Bounds Distinguished Teaching Award for 2026-28.

As the Director of the EMS Program, Mr. Longest oversees student training in the Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician programs. He started teaching EMS classes as an adjunct in 1997 and started Chesapeake’s EMT program.

A veteran of The Maryland State Police and the Maryland National Guard, he spent a career in law enforcement and emergency response before his career in higher education.

In accepting the  award, Mr. Longest told listeners he was uncomfortable standing at the podium and speaking to a large audience. That discomfort, though, is a critical part of growth and positive change, he said.

“Learning new concepts can be uncomfortable. But those are exactly the moments where something changes. Where we improve. Where we grow,” Mr. Longest said. “In the classroom, the moments that matter most aren’t when everything is easy—they’re when it’s challenging. When something doesn’t click right away. When you’re forced to think differently, to struggle a little, to work through it.”