BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
Hard work doesn't faze Senior Airman Dallas Hollis, 940th Aeromedicine Squadron laboratory technician.
Hollis is a biology major finishing up his Bachelor of Science degree at Sacramento State University while working as a human pathology instructor at Anthem College and a part-time physical fitness instructor for Sacramento veterans.
A traditional reservist at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., Hollis worked as a medical administrator until recently cross-training into the laboratory technician field because he wanted more hands-on medical training.
The transition required Hollis to complete a 13-month technical school where he was named distinguished graduate.
"I wish I could clone ten more of Hollis and scatter him throughout the medical field," said Tech. Sgt. Caleb Martinez, Hollis's technical training instructor.
Hollis' dedication during training didn't pay off just for him as an individual, but his hard work benefitted classmates, too. Seeing his commitment to personal success, as well as the success of others, Martinez chose Hollis for the class leader position over more experienced, higher-ranking sergeants.
While enthusiastic about being named class leader, Hollis admits he was overwhelmed by the responsibility and wondered how to best go about helping his fellow classmates. Determined to help his struggling classmates pass their course, he formed a study group and worked extra hours. The academic focus increased the course pass rate from the typical 48% to 79% for Hollis' class.
"I'm a nerd, and I don't mind studying, but what really motivated me was being class leader," Hollis said. "I knew my classmates would be asking lots of questions, so I studied even harder so I didn't mislead them."
Hollis formed another study group so classmates could get a head start on passing the American Society for Clinical Pathology board of certification for medical laboratory technicians.
"Airmen don't typically graduate technical training with this certification," said Master Sgt. Ryan Atkinson, Hollis's current supervisor and 940th Aeromedicine Squadron laboratory technician. "On average, it usually takes a couple years after graduation and even a couple tries to pass the certification."
The certification is divided into three parts: knowledge, application and comprehension. Because airmen tend to over study or under study certain aspects, Hollis undertook the development of a targeted, more effective study technique. He started hyperlinking key terms throughout each page of the more than 100-page study guide.
Hollis and his original study group didn't finish the study guide project, but the task has been passed to successive classes. Martinez said he intends to approach the other 12 medical technical schools with this method. If others adopt the approach, it could help countless students, he said.
"It became more about them than me," Hollis said. "I was proud of passing the test, but what I'm most proud of is helping other airmen to pass, too."
Hollis' novel study approach helped more than half the airmen in his study group become ASCP certified.
Aside from being an excellent tutor, Hollis guided the younger airmen, mitigated personal issues, and even checked their uniforms, Martinez said.
"He's a professional, well-rounded airman who did everything a class leader should do and much more," Martinez said. "He anticipated the needs of his classmates and the Air Force."