Seth Johnston is following other members of his family’s career path into the medical field.
The 18-year-old is a first-year student in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. Johnston plans to join his mother, who is a registered nurse, father, a computerized tomography technician, and brother, an X-ray technician, in the field of medicine.
“I decided to follow in their footsteps,” he said. “They were really excited for me when I told them I was going to go to school.”
He chose the EMS route after a family member was injured.
“I decided on EMS because my cousin was in a car accident after football practice and they transported him to the hospital,” Johnston said. “I really caught on to what they were doing to help him and decided I wanted to do the same for others.”
He plans to further his education at TSTC by completing the paramedic program after the emergency medical technician certification.
Johnston admitted he did not know what to expect when beginning classes this fall.
“I was in awe when I saw the ambulance simulator,” he said. “I am ready to train in the simulator.”
Johnston said he is looking forward to the portion of the program where he will ride with paramedics in the field.
“I know there will be some anxiety and scary parts to see,” he said. “But it will be interesting to see how things are done in the field.”
Johnston said the hands-on approach is the best way he can take in information.
“I like to see something get done, and then I can get with it,” he said.
Being the youngest member of the class does not stop him from doing his best.
“It is a great environment to work in. My classmates pick me up when they see I am having a bad day,” Johnston said. “I feel included in everything we do. When someone else is down, I am right there to pick them up. Everyone in our class is a team.”
Johnston also said the instructors play an important role in the learning environment.
“They push all of us to do our best. They are always by your side, making sure you know what to do,” he said.
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.