Before EMS, Matt Hallis was all about baseball and movement—whether catching behind the plate or pitching on the mound, he thrived under pressure. “I’ve always loved sports, being active, being proficient with my body style,” he says. But after high school, when college ball didn’t work out, he started looking for something with the same adrenaline and structure. What pulled him into EMS wasn’t just the challenge—it was the memory of two medics who helped him when he was six years old and newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “They made my whole experience a lot easier... I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to do the stuff I still wanted to do,” he shares. That moment planted the seed for something bigger.

Today, Matt is an EMT working full-time and soaking up every experience—clocking long shifts, running 4 to 8 calls a day, and continuously sharpening his skills. He earned his certification at just 17 and passed his NREMT on his birthday. From day one, he’s taken pride in learning from others: “I’ve had great FTOs, great partners... they’d say, ‘Hey, do it this way instead.’” He talks openly about tough calls, like transporting a suicide-homicide patient from Akron Summa—an experience that was “a little queasy” but only fueled his determination to eventually run 911 calls and become a paramedic.

Off-duty, Matt’s energy doesn’t stop. He works out, hits the BMX track, and plays cornhole when he finds the time. He’s got a dry sense of humor, loves seafood (especially fried catfish), and keeps his circle tight—mentioning guys like Brian Flanigan and Mark Montgomery as not just coworkers, but real friends. “It makes the time go by faster when you can joke around and have fun, but also be majorly serious when you need to be.” Driven, focused, and shaped by early life challenges, Matt’s story is proof that when you channel your experiences into purpose, you end up exactly where you’re meant to be.