Kari Willis is the first and only woman to graduate from Lone Star College-Montgomery’s fire science academy.Kari Willis is a young lady with hot plans.

Since graduating from the Lone Star College-Montgomery Fire Science Academy, she's working her way up both the proverbial and literal ladder.

Willis, a 26-year-old Spring resident, is the first and only female graduate of the program.

"At first the guys would try to carry things for me and do things for me," Willis said. "It was hilarious. Eventually they stopped."

Willis is a petite lady, standing 5-feet-4 and weighing 130 pounds. Her fellow male students couldn't help but offer to be gentlemanly, and there was some good-natured teasing from the guys about whether or not she would make it to graduation.

"I told them 'see you there,'" Willis laughed.

Not only did she make it, she did so with straight A's and in the top 10 percent of her class.

Program Director Keith Campbell said Willis' accomplishment has been positive for the academy, and hopefully influential.

"Kari outscored almost every other student in every aspect of the course, and physically, she unabashedly gave everything she had on every task,” Campbell said. "I hope the program can get more women like her."

There is a lot more to fire other than the fact it's hot, enough to where the college program spans two semesters.

Willis learned about the different fuels that burn, different ways to put out fires, the essentials of firefighting, and there's even a text book devoted entirely to operating and driving fire trucks equipped with fire pumps.

Willis excelled at coursework, but being nose deep in a textbook is one thing.

Getting in the line of fire is altogether different.

Willis experienced that aspect at The Woodlands Emergency Training Center's five-story live burn tower, located on a 13-acre site approximately one mile north of the college campus.

Willis also got a taste of the real thing by interning at The Woodlands Fire Department for a few weeks.

Willis, a 2002 graduate of Magnolia High School, grew up surrounded by law enforcement, but in a good way.

Her mother Linda Moore retired a few years ago from the Houston Police Department, where for 13 years she was a street patrol officer, followed by teaching defensive tactics to cadets at the police academy.

"I thought Kari would go into law enforcement, but I'm just as proud she chose the fire department," said Moore, a Magnolia resident. "I knew she was doing well in the program, because I saw her studying all the time. But I have to say, she has really, really impressed me."

Willis' stepfather David Moore is currently a patrol officer with HPD.

Willis' ultimate goal is to be a paramedic and firefighter.

She is already an intermediate-level Emergency Medical Technician, and is certified with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

While Willis is taking a break this summer to enjoy being a newlywed – she got married two days after graduating from the fire science program – she is looking forward to a lifelong, exciting career.

"There's always something new going on," Willis said. "It's not sitting in an office looking at a computer all day."

Being accepted into the fire science program is a feat in itself.

Eligible students have to meet physical fitness requirements including the ability to run 1.5 miles under 13 minutes and be able to lift at least 150 pounds.

Their weight must be in proportion to their height, and they have to submit a physician-signed physical exam form.

Applications to the fire science academy are currently being accepted at Lone Star College-Montgomery for the class of 2010-2011.

Willis'advice for potential students, both male and female?

"Start working out now," Willis said. "Especially pushups and pull-ups."

Kari Willis, 26
Community connection: Spring resident
High school: 2002 graduate of Magnolia High
College: 2010 graduate of Lone Star College-Montgomery
Fast Fact: Willis is the first and only female to graduate from the college's fire science academy
Quick Quote: "There's more to fire than you might think." Kari Willis