Going into her senior year at the University of Houston-Victoria after transferring from Houston Community College, Amber Sellers is not only working to finish up her final year but is also fast approaching her one-year anniversary as a volunteer firefighter in the Houston area.

As a student, Amber Sellers is always ready to stamp out academic flames. On the side, the University of Houston-Victoria student is putting out real life flames — one housefire at a time.

Going into her senior year at UHV after transferring from Houston Community College, Sellers is not only working to finish up her final year but is also fast approaching her one-year anniversary as a volunteer firefighter in the Houston area.

“I love, love, love helping people; I’m very big on community,” Sellers said. “It has always been a dream of mine to either be a police officer, firefighter or lawyer. One day, I just pulled up to the side of one of the chiefs and asked, “Hey, are you guys hiring?”

She got her shot.

Sellers was welcomed into the close-knit firefighting community. Coming up on her one-year anniversary, she still remembers the moment her fellow firefighters welcomed her warmly and made her feel like part of the family, Sellers said. Being aware of the stresses of the job, Sellers said she felt appreciated in an environment where she could rely on her team. The other firefighters took the time to thoroughly go over training and were encouraging all throughout, she said.

Karla DeCuir

"Transfer students bring with them a wealth of diverse experiences and perspectives to the UHV community," said Karla DeCuir, UHV interim vice president for enrollment management. "At UHV, we are proud to be an institution where transfer students can come achieve their full potential."

Coming from Beaumont, Sellers’s educational journey began at Houston Community College, one of UHV’s Houston GPS partner schools, after she graduated from high school at the age of 17. Before going into higher education, Sellers said she contemplated joining the military, pursuing firefighting or music. Though school was not her forte in the past, Sellers said she was drawn to the criminal justice field and decided to give higher education a chance.

“I have cried, stayed up late and wanted to give up so many times, but knowing what my end goal was just pushed me to keep going,” Sellers said. “Even now, I’m a bit stressed with classes, but I know what my angle is, and I know everything I went through this far is to get me close to the finish line.”

Her experience at Houston Community College was eye-opening, as Sellers had more independence to learn how to manage her time more effectively and develop better study habits to succeed in her class load, she said.

In 2023, Sellers officially stepped foot at UHV Katy, all the while finishing up her associate’s degree from Houston Community College. The transition to UHV proved to be a smooth one, Sellers said, thanks in part to the guidance of UHV recruiters. Impressed by the recruiters and UHV’s proximity to her home, Sellers said she ultimately decided to continue her studies at UHV.

In addition to her studies, Sellers works as a front desk receptionist at UHV Katy, assisting students with various inquiries and has even been nominated to become a representative for the Student Government Association.

As a Black woman, Sellers said she recognized the significance of representation and values being a role model for children of color in her community.

“Being on the job, being around everyone and continuously learning things and seeing how much our team helps people on our calls, I fell more in love with the job than I thought I could,” Sellers said.

Throughout her one year at the fire station, Sellers said she not only had to push herself physically, but mentally as well. Although she is a very active person before joining the squad, Sellers said the demands of firefighting took it to another level, a realization that made her more dedicated to take more time to work out, going to the gym five days a week and watching her nutrition closely.

“It’s a very rigorous job, mentally and physically, but it’s very rewarding,” Sellers said. “Putting out a fire is not scary; it’s like the calm in the storm. Despite being in the chaos, you have to maintain calm.”

One of her most memorable moments as a volunteer firefighter involved a call responding to a car fire in a garage, Sellers said. Initially, the crew rushed to spray the car with their water hoses, but it didn’t seem to be extinguishing it effectively, and two of her teammates were caught in the fire, Sellers recalled. They later realized gasoline was leaking from the car and refueling the fire, which led the team to switch tactics and use firefighting foam to suppress the fire.

“Chaos shouldn’t scare you when you’re in a situation like that,” Sellers said. “You just have to be careful, but I love what I do with the people I do it with. I learn a little bit more each time we get called out.”

Looking ahead to her future, Sellers has her sights set on a multifaced career path. She aspires to become a detective in law enforcement while also exploring opportunities as an arson investigator and potentially pursuing a law degree in the future.

“I don’t have one dream or one aspiration,” Sellers said. “This criminal justice degree from UHV just sets me ahead for each path that I would like to take.”