Biology student studies ASL for future medical career
Student of the Week: Maria Garza
Seeking to one day treat some of our youngest patients as a pediatrician, Maria Garza says her dream is to one day earn her medical degree in pediatrics but specialize in American Sign Language in order to assist deaf children.
Maria said she is pursuing her associate degree in Biology from South Texas College as well as an associate in American Sign Language and Interpreting Studies.
“Well, I know I absolutely adore kids and I know that every time I visited the doctor I loved how friendly they were and how they made it not scary, studying ASL just ties in with that,” Maria said. “I feel like it'll be a lot better. And when I talked to my professor, she said, we do need a lot more doctors that know ASL for those who are deaf.”
The Language and Cultural Studies Field of Study is designed to provide students the opportunity to develop and enhance their practical communication skills and cross-cultural understanding that will provide them the foundational coursework required for careers in languages and cultural studies.
This field of study focuses on integrating language, culture and literature to help students gain an international perspective for living and working in today's global society.
“Well, I know I absolutely adore kids and I know that every time I visited the doctor I loved how friendly they were and how they made it not scary, studying ASL just ties in with that. I feel like it'll be a lot better. And when I talked to my professor, she said, we do need a lot more doctors that know ASL for those who are deaf.”
Maria plans to finish with associate degrees by this summer and then transfer to the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley to complete her bachelor degree.
“The reason I am getting my associate's in biology is because I want to become a doctor,” Maria said. “The plan is to get my associate's and then I want to transfer to UTRGV and continue there. Right now, I'm kind of looking into being a pediatrician. If I can also get my sign language associates, it will tie in with my pediatric career because I know that there are a lot of ASL doctors who are in demand.”
As she looks to the future, Maria says STC has changed her career path and driven her to succeed.
“STC has changed my career and my perspective on school and I'm glad that it's driven me back to where I needed to be before,” Maria said. “The number one reason why I became so successful here at STC and all classes in general was that I actually got the chance to do so.”