Michael P. McMahon was a true Renaissance man. A 1993 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School, he was a registered nurse, a flight attendant and a school bus driver. Each job offered Michael a chance to help people, something he truly believed in. Although he gave his all to everything he did, he was most passionate about his work as an emergency medical technician (EMT). When Michael passed away from colon cancer in October 2021, his family turned its grief into an opportunity to help others. The Michael P. McMahon Scholarship for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was created to help any resident of Lancaster County who wishes to pursue an EMT, Advanced EMT or Paramedic Certification.

Michael was the oldest of four children and the son of Mike and Joanne McMahon. "He was loving, and he was loved by his family and friends," Mike stated.

Added Joanne, "Michael's life was so varied. You couldn't put him in a box. If he was interested in something, he'd do it. ... They say it's the dash between the years on your gravestone that matters. Michael made the most of that dash."

Joanne noted that her free-spirited son loved to try new things, but one career path made all the difference. "Being an EMT and eventually a paramedic changed his life," she shared. "He grew as a person. It made him who he was."

When Joanne sat down to write Michael's obituary, and she got to the part about giving flowers, she had another idea. "She said, 'Let's start a scholarship in his name,'" recalled Mike, noting that they asked family members and friends to contribute.

"Our goal is to find as many people to help as we can," said Joe McMahon, Michael's brother. "We want to pay for as many as we can and give people the opportunity to do this as a career, to help people to do something every day that they can be proud of."

Noted Mike, "This is a full scholarship, based on capability and need." It will cover tuition up to $7,500.

To help develop the scholarship, the McMahon family reached out to the Lancaster County EMS Council, a nonprofit organization made up of representatives from all of the EMS agencies serving Lancaster County. The initial scholarship was open to students and alumni at Lancaster Catholic High School, but a second round is being offered countywide.

The scholarship is open to both current students and adults. "Michael was kind of a late bloomer, so the ideal candidate could be someone who has stayed home with their kids and now wants to get back into the workforce," said Michael's sister Mary Kate Walsh. "Or it could be someone who wants to change careers and needs financial support to do that."

The scholarship is meant to be a stepping stone into a career that helps people, said Michael's sister Colleen Murphy, who added, "We need more helpers in the world like my brother."

The application process for the scholarship will run from Saturday, April 1, through Friday, June 30. Scholarship winners will be notified by Monday, July 31. For more information, to obtain a scholarship application or to make a donation to the scholarship fund, contact Joe McMahon at joe@joemcmahonlaw.com.