From one year in a foster home to teen pregnancy, it wasn’t always clear to Jovita Viveros that college was in her future, but Texas Southmost College has made it possible, and now she is on her way to becoming the first college graduate in her family.
The 20-year-old is a student in TSC’s Medical Laboratory Technology program and expects to earn her associate degree in May.
“I can’t believe how far I’ve come. It sometimes doesn’t feel real,” said the San Benito native. “I feel like the uncertainty and stress I’ve carried for so long is being lifted.”
Viveros was only 12 years old when her mother passed away and she and her older sister ended up in a foster home, but it was what happened next that gave Viveros hope.
“We were some of the lucky ones. After one year, my aunt and uncle were able to bring us into their home,” she said. “This changed our lives and they have been a big help.”
Then at 17, Viveros’ daughter was born, bringing her into a new chapter of responsibility and adulthood she wasn’t quite prepared for, but said it is her daughter that gives her the motivation to keep going.
“My biggest motivation is and will always be my daughter,” she said. “Everything I’m doing is for her, for us; to give us a better life.”
Between a full-time job from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., school and medical laboratory clinical rotations from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Viveros juggles school, work and mom life, knowing that in the end, it’s all going to be worth it.
“This is going to give my baby a better life and I’m doing what I have to, to ensure that. I give 100% to everything I do,” said Viveros. “And TSC’s Medical Laboratory Technology program has given me opportunities I never thought I would have.”
In the program, Viveros has been able to build a foundation in the medical laboratory field she said she would not be able to get anywhere else. From hands-on learning and dedicated instructors to clinical rotations at local hospitals, Viveros said it has given her confidence and she is ready to start her career in May.
In fact, Viveros already has a couple of job offers on the table as a medical laboratory technician working behind the scenes in the medical field in microbiology, hematology, urinalysis and chemistry.
“This has all been possible because our instructors want to see us succeed, so they give us all of the tools and resources necessary,” she said. “I have learned so much and gained a newfound confidence, making this a steppingstone for bigger things to come.”
Viveros plans on continuing her education at a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree in clinical lab science.
“Because of TSC I will be able to support myself and my baby, gain a career and financial security and set a good example for my daughter and other women in my situation,” she said. “Thank you TSC and my instructors for making all of this possible.”
For more information, visit TSC’s Medical Laboratory Technology program or call 956-295-3731.