BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Texas Southmost College opened the door to a new career path for Eleazar Hernandez, a Respiratory Care Science student with a strong academic background.
Before enrolling at TSC, the Brownsville native worked as a high school STEM teacher and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in ocean, coastal and earth sciences.
“I just felt the career wasn’t calling to me,” Hernandez said. “After a while, I decided to look into healthcare. Being from the Valley, I started exploring two-year degree programs.”
Hernandez found the passion he had been searching for after interviewing with TSC Respiratory Care Science Program Director Isidro Ramirez III and Clinical Education Program Director Alberto Vasquez during the application process.
“Being an educator myself, you can really tell who is here for the love of the job,” Hernandez said. “Knowing they weren’t just program directors but also instructors, the way they spoke about the program and their vision for its future, confirmed my decision to become an RT and a student here.”
The program’s engaged instruction, combined with Hernandez’s academic foundation, helped him excel in his first year.
In April, Hernandez presented scholarly research on airway diseases at the Texas Society for Respiratory Care South Region South Padre Island Symposium. More than 20 entries were submitted, but only a select group of students from South Texas community colleges were chosen to present.
“I’m extremely proud of my hard work,” Hernandez said. “It wasn’t just me. The faculty in the program guided my success. They have pushed me to step forward and put myself out there in a world that is new to me.”
Hernandez placed second.
“It was awesome to place,” Hernandez said. “Just being able to present and see my work out there was more than enough. It was great to see other college students and professionals come together.”
Ramirez said Hernandez has already demonstrated leadership and is expected to make an impact in the field.
“We see him as a leader in this program,” Ramirez said. “That’s what we want to produce in the Respiratory Care Science program — individuals who will go out and care for our
community and our families. I see Eli as a contributing member of society. We’re proud of him.”
Vasquez said Hernandez is an asset to both his classmates and faculty, bringing valuable perspective from his time as an educator.
“I talk to him often about his experience teaching in high school,” Vasquez said. “I learn from him just as much as he learns from me from a teacher’s perspective. It’s awesome to have that kind of relationship with a student, especially a first-year student. I see a very bright future for this young man.”
Hernandez plans to graduate next year and become a registered respiratory therapist. Long term, he hopes to advance within the field.
“Physician assistant, perfusionist or anesthesiology assistant are pathways we can pursue as RTs — it’s a foundation to move up,” he said. “Even if I don’t, I can see myself becoming a director in the respiratory therapy field.”
Hernandez said he is grateful to have found a career he is passionate about and credits TSC faculty for their support.
“They make sure to check on their students, that we’re grasping the material and ready to move forward in our careers,” he said. “TSC has done a great job building this program and hiring dedicated instructors.”
