Be prepared and work hard
Student of the Week: Jessica Alvarez
“I hope that my children see their mother never giving up and that dreams can become a reality if you work hard for them, even when you are old and it seems impossible."
Jessica Alvarez is setting an example for her children by thriving at South Texas College and launching a career in the healthcare industry.
“I hope that my children see their mother never giving up and that dreams can become a reality if you work hard for them, even when you are old and it seems impossible,” said Alvarez, 43, who has accumulated a 4.0 grade point average, is earning an associate degree in the growing field of Health Information Technology and secured a job as a medical office specialist at DHR Health Oncology Institute after a successful internship.
“Jessica Alvarez has had the determination and drive to surpass life’s challenges as a student in the Health and Medical Administrative Services program,” said one instructor. “Ms. Alvarez is an adult student who returned to school to complete her associate’s education while working and setting a role model for her children.”
Alvarez was born in Mexico, married at a young age, began raising a family and emigrated to the United States in 2005.
“I never thought I could accomplish this and I would not be here had it not been for my husband, who has been a driving force, and also my sister who made the first move and registered me for the program in the fall semester in 2019,” she said. “She also emigrated and finished her bachelor's and two master's degrees as an adult and a mother of two daughters. I honestly doubted I could get this far, and I can barely believe I will be graduating. I can still remember the first day I went to a class at the Pecan campus, how my classmates were my children's age, and how beautiful that lab was. It has been an honor for me to be part of this institution.”
South Texas College’s Associate of Applied Science Degree program in Health Information Technology provides students with the skills and confidence to excel as health information technicians responsible for organizing, managing, and coding patients’ health information records and data. Professionals are earning more than $44,000 annually on average with ample opportunity for advancement, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“South Texas College is an excellent institution with very well-structured programs and offers a wide variety of courses, certificates, and degrees,” Alvarez said. “Faculty members are excellent, too; I have met fine people here.”