Chasing the action: Manthey finds purpose through EMS program
When an ambulance zoomed past and Michael Manthey mashed his cheek into the car window, his parents knew what would come next: a plea to chase the action.
As a kid, Manthey got an adrenaline rush from all things emergency-related, and no wonder with his dad’s police radio buzzing in the kitchen or his mom dashing off in nursing scrubs to her hospital shift. The mix of chaos and compassion felt like home.
So it was surprising that Manthey, after earning a kinesiology degree in 2022, had settled for the least adrenaline-pumping career possible — pushing papers as a hospital clerk.
His parents raised their eyebrows: “You’ve always wanted a fast pace, not sitting behind a desk.”
Manthey’s mom, a San Jacinto College nursing graduate, encouraged him to explore the
College’s programs. In spring 2025, he enrolled in San Jac’s EMS certificate program, commuting 50 miles from Richmond to the North Campus three days a week.
“Their shared trust shows the lasting impression San Jac leaves on our students and the value families place on our program,” Sylvia Gallegos, EMS program director, said. “We attract students, even from outside our immediate area.”
The program had a reputation for being difficult, but Manthey was up for the challenge: “When you make it through, they set you up to know what you’re doing.”
His training combined classroom learning with clinical experience shadowing paramedics in real-world settings. Manthey carried bags and stretchers and helped assess and treat patients. But the highlight of the semester was an on-campus field day, where health science students simulated a mass casualty and emergency response.
Acting as a patient, Manthey got strapped onto a stretcher and air-lifted in a helicopter. In the sky, the flight medic and nurse demonstrated the equipment and answered his questions.
“I could see it being scary being on the stretcher, not able to move,” he said. “It was eye-opening and helps you be more compassionate.”
When people call 911, it’s not their best day. Being there for them gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
That experience solidified Manthey’s desire to deliver the best care to people in crisis. After working as an emergency medical technician for a year, he plans to return to San Jac for paramedic training and become a flight medic. Ultimately, he wants to become a flight nurse.
“When people call 911, it’s not their best day,” he said. “Being there for them gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment.”
Struggling with his own health years ago, Manthey remembers others outside his family squashing his dreams. In the end, he learned it was not their voices but his own that mattered most.
“Regardless of limitations that people have put on you, with enough motivation and perseverance, you can do it,” he said.
Read more stories from the Chancellor's Report to the Community
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
