Manuel is originally from Arroyo Seco, NM. He completed both a Pre-Science Degree at UNM-Taos, and a B.S. in Forestry from NMHU through the CCC Program. A former USFS Pathways student, Manuel interned as a Research Assistant to CCC grad student Eliza Montoya and took a position as a Forester with Chestnut Ridge Forestry in Cloudcroft, NM.