City Academy Graduate Spotlight: Kwang Lim Koo

Kwang Lim Koo joined City Academy in 2019, looking for a new direction.

He had been working as a medical scribe and was considering medical school, but wasn’t sure if it was right for him. After talking with his brother, a police sergeant who works closely with EMTs, Kwang started to explore a career in emergency medicine. That’s when he found City Academy online and decided to apply.

"Free scholarship to the EMT course? I’ll take it," he said.

City Academy prepares trainees for jobs as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and for jobs requiring a Commercial Driver’s License and/or Hoisting License within the City of Boston. These City jobs pay above Boston's Living Wage, currently $18.20 an hour, and offer health benefits, union membership, and opportunities for pay increases. 

The training wasn’t easy. According to Kwang, the EMT course felt like a graduate-level class, and many students, including him, were also balancing full-time jobs. But the support from City Academy staff and Boston EMS instructors made all the difference. Kwang still keeps in touch with the people who helped him succeed, including City Academy Instructor Kelly Folsom and EMS Captains  Michelle Salfiti and Naomi Waters from Boston EMS. In addition, the program fostered long-lasting friendships between him and his fellow trainees.

"I still talk to people from my City Academy class,” he said. “We built real friendships — people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise."

After earning his EMT license in early 2020, Kwang joined Boston EMS. Since then, he has gone on to tutor new City Academy students and has advanced in his career. In 2025, he was named EMT of the Year.

“I don’t know who nominated me,” he said. “But it means a lot that people noticed the work I’ve done.”

Kwang recently finished the paramedic program and hopes to move into that role soon. He also expressed his gratitude for everything City Academy gave him.

“This program was life-changing,” he said. “I didn’t expect to be where I am now. Definitely consider it — City Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

City Academy is currently accepting applications for its August training program. Learn more at boston.gov/city-academy.