A Fitting Career
Student of the Week: Genesis Serna
Genesis Serna, 26, is receiving her associate degree in Early Childhood Development Saturday, May 7 at Edinburg’s Bert Ogden Arena. She said she felt connected to the major when she became a teen mom and is only growing as a better mother to her eight and nine-year-old. She thanks her husband for encouraging her to attend school again.
“I feel more secure with myself and am going to go for the greater dreams I have that will make me a better mom and educator."
Between navigating motherhood and the thought of returning to school, graduating sophomore Genesis Serna said she was nervous to start college.
It had been four years since Serna earned her high school GED when she became a student at South Texas College. Today she reflects on her growth from a teen mom to a college graduate set to receive her associate degree in Early Childhood Development this spring.
“Being a teen mom was hard because I was learning to become a mom while I was a student,” shares Serna.
“I enrolled with the college in 2019 because my husband was attending here for some time and he loved it,” said Serna. “He was the one to encourage me to attend and start my college education.”
The 26-year-old said the program was fitting for her as a mother and aspiring educator.
Most importantly Serna is teaching her eight and nine-year-old that reading is vital to their learning development.
“I felt connected to this major because it was information I would’ve liked to know before becoming a mother,” said Serna. “This program emphasizes the practice of literacy because it’s the most important thing you can teach as a mother and educator.”
STC’s Child Development Program is designed to provide students with a theoretical knowledge base and practical experiences that lead to a certificate, associate degree and/or the first two years of transferable credit toward a baccalaureate degree and employment in the field of child development.
Child Development professionals are employable as teachers, directors of childcare centers, nursery schools, preschools and community agencies such as Head Start.
The STC graduate will pursue a bachelor’s degree with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and hopes to become a director of her own learning center.
“I feel more secure with myself and am going to go for the greater dreams I have that will make me a better mom and educator,” she said.