SCOOBA, Miss. (WTVA) — Jessica Romanowski is a former student in the funeral services technology program. She is now a funeral director and embalmer.
She said many people have mixed feelings about the industry, but she doesn’t.
EMCC funeral services technology program (Bronson Woodruff)
“Honestly, it’s a labor of love,” said Romanowski. “And if you don’t love your community, if you don’t love what you’re doing, you won’t be very happy in it. This has been the most rewarding career I think I could have chosen.”
Octavia Dickerson has been the program’s director for 18 years, and she’s loved every minute of it. She gaves us a tour of EMCC’s prep room where her class does embalming simulations.
“We have a weighted mannequin on here because the students have to learn how to be able to adjust and work with a body,” said Dickerson.
She said they don’t actually embalm people on campus but instructors give students the skills to prepare for any situation.
“We have a quick-drench shower, so if you get something on you, you just pull that, and there you go,” said Dickerson. “We have some of our PPE, and certainly these are some of the instruments we use when we embalm.”
Her students learn basic anatomy, how to prepare bodies for burial and how to properly embalm them.
