DEMSA student finds her mentors

Alejandra Escobedo says participating in the Dual Enrollment Medical Science Academy (DEMSA) with South Texas College has enabled her to connect with mentors who have pushed her farther than she ever hoped.

Attending college at STC’s Mid Valley campus, Alejandra says the DEMSA program has allowed her to prepare for a future medical career by allowing her to take college classes while still in high school.

“They told me at the end of my sophomore year that I was accepted into the DEMSA program, and the summer of junior year I started taking my first class which was college algebra, then biology and chemistry,” Alejandra said. “My instructors have made me feel like I was brilliant, that I could do anything.

“We all have the capability to succeed, it’s just a matter of believing in it," Alejandra said. “All of my teachers have impacted me in this way.”

DEMSA is a two-year dual enrollment program developed for high school juniors and seniors of the Starr County, Pecan and Mid-Valley Campus area who are seriously interested in pursuing a career in health care. The purpose of the program is to increase the number of rural area students committed to careers and service in Medicine, Pharmacy Dentistry, Nursing, Allied Health, and others.

Alejandra plans to graduate simultaneously from high school and STC in May 2020 and hopes to attend the University of Texas in Austin to pursue a bachelor degree in Biology before pursuing medical school.

“For students going down the same path as me I would like to tell them that sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself right now, but at the end you have to know that you're going to be successful for life if you stick with it,” Alejandra said. “You may not see it right now, but you are really impacting your life for the better if you just hold on.”