A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Robb Quinn

Robb-QuinnIf success is measured by happiness, Robb Quinn has lived a beyond prosperous life. Spreading positivity with others is a natural gift for him. La Porte County has been lucky enough to have Quinn serve the community with his passion, hard work and kind personality through his jobs as a paramedic and a photographer.

For the past 45 years, Quinn has been an active member in La Porte County by helping those in need while doing what he loves. Quinn was born and raised in Michigan City and attended Joy Elementary School, Barker Middle School and Elston High School. While growing up in the area, he fell in love with the community and everything that came with it. The impact it had on him was lasting, for he still resides in Michigan City with his wife, Carla, and nine-year-old daughter, Krystani.

"It is home; I know it really well, and you have anything you could want with all of the conveniences. I love the fact that La Porte County is big enough where you don't know everybody, but it is small enough where you know everybody," Quinn said.

The path to Quinn's future was not always crystal clear. He attended Indiana University and graduated with a social studies education degree. Quinn's father was a member of the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department for as long as he could remember. Quinn had always aspired to be on that department someday, too.

While in college, Quinn joined the Bloomington Township Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Although the position was not permanent, Quinn noticed great potential in the field and was greatly motivated by his Training Officer and Assistant Chief, Faron Livingston. Living his childhood dream while in college peaked his interest into the EMS side of the fire service.

Becoming a volunteer firefighter was only the beginning of his path to success. Through his interest in emergency services, he found his calling: becoming a paramedic. This then became the career he would live out for the next 22 years. Quinn loves the rush of doing something different every shift, but also takes pleasure in getting to know his coworkers.

"I like the family aspect of the job. At EMS, we are broken into shifts, and that shift becomes your family every third day. You fight, you laugh, you argue, and anything you do with a family, you do with your EMS family because you might be stuck with them for twenty-four hours at a time. It has amazing highs and amazing lows, and if you are just in it for the highs, the lows are even worse," Quinn said.

Since he was a child, Quinn has had many mentors and inspirations. Although he has looked up to many family members, his biggest inspiration has been his grandfather. Seeing his grandfather's strong work ethic firsthand, Quinn was motivated to make his family proud by working hard at both of his jobs.

"In EMS, there are a countless number of paramedics that I look up to. In the twenty-two years I have been doing it, I have still been learning new things every day. There have been many people I have tried to mold myself after, but my biggest inspiration in my life has been my grandfather," Quinn said.

As Quinn captured the qualities his grandfather possessed, he shifted his viewpoint to a more scenic avenue: photography.

Ever since he was little, Quinn sought an interest in photography. He grew up around cameras and taking pictures became a family affair. It had always been a hobby of his, but nine years ago, Quinn decided to pursue it as a career. For Quinn, being a photographer is not only about the photos, but the stories that can be told through them. He takes great pleasure in photographing storms, nature photos and high school sporting events. He also photographs portraits, community events and weddings.

"I love taking pictures and I love my job on EMS. They have their ups and downs, but I think that happens in every field. Nothing I do is done by myself, whether it is on the ambulance, or whether it is in photography. I have wonderful people that I work with, and wonderful people that I have learned from," Quinn said.

His long-term goal is to turn photography into a full-time business. Quinn's photography is accessible at http://www.rqifineart.com/ and http://www.robbquinnimaging.com/.