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It was a typical October day at the Sugarloaf Mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students and spouses Ismael Gonzalez, ’28, information technology, and Allison Gonzalez, ’29, English, were walking near the food court when they noticed an older gentleman fall. They rushed over to his side. The gentleman was still conscious, but sweaty.

“He had a rapid pulse, and then he lost consciousness,” said Allison. “Then he stopped breathing, so I started chest compressions.”

Her reaction was the result of a class that all GGC students are required to take: physical education 1101, which includes a session on compression-only CPR. Simply put, students learn “No, no, go.”

“If there is no motion and no breathing, then it’s go time to start compressions,” said Dr. Ken Horowitz, assistant professor of physical education. “Chest compressions help keep someone alive until paramedics arrive.”

Chest compressions, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), must be done at 100-120 times per minute. Performing chest compressions for several minutes is physically exhausting.

“My husband and I took turns doing compressions, and then a retired doctor offered to help,” said Allison. The doctor used the mall’s automated external defibrillator (AED), which can help shock a person’s heart back to a normal rhythm. Additionally, thanks to an emergency contact list on the gentleman’s cell phone, they were able to call his family to let them know what was happening, all while providing aid.

Ismael had CPR training every Friday while serving in the United States Navy. Allison, on the other hand, not only took this GGC class, but also became certified in CPR because she works at an after-school program.

While both agreed that it felt like a lifetime, they performed chest compressions for over 10 minutes. Allison remembers talking with a 911 operator while doing chest compressions.

“While we were doing the compressions, we could hear breaths coming from him,” she said. “Because we knew what to do, we could react and help. It could mean the difference between life and death for that person.”

“You have to keep a steady rhythm and try not to break the person’s ribs,” said Ismael. “It is physically hard to do for more than a few minutes, but your adrenaline kicks in and you keep going.”

Paramedics arrived at the scene, took over and transported the gentleman to the hospital.

According to the AHA, if a bystander immediately administers CPR, the survival rates increase from 10 percent to over 40 percent or even higher. Since 2017, the AHA has recommended chest-only compression CPR as effective in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest. Compressions inflate the lungs and provide oxygen.

“GGC students practice chest compressions on adult and child mannequins,” said Horowitz. “Plus, they learn to use the AED machines.”

GGC’s Public Safety office began offering CPR training in 2015, and since then, about 2,000 students, faculty and staff have been certified in CPR or basic life support. As a result of adding CPR training to the physical education 1101 course in the fall of 2018, over 6,000 GGC students have learned compression-only CPR and the proper use of an AED.

There are 69 AED machines located in all the buildings on GGC’s campus, and in all the GGC police patrol cars, said Ashley Still, emergency management coordinator for the college.

Due to privacy laws, Ismael and Allison don’t know if the gentleman they aided survived.

“We hope that he made it,” said Allison.

When the spring 2025 semester starts, another 1,300 GGC students will learn these life-saving skills.

Download CPR training gallery photos and b-roll.