Starr Serves Community
South Texas College in collaboration with Starr County hold COVID-19 vaccine clinic with the community
A guest shows off her COVID-19 vaccine recently at a clinic coordinated by STC and Starr County at the Starr County Campus Sept. 30. Vaccines were administered free of charge as the college and county seek to help mitigate the spread of the novel virus by providing the vaccines to students, faculty and staff.
Being able to use her skills as a future medical professional in her own community is a special privilege for Sayan De Leon.
Among those students tasked with assisting with vaccinations for COVID-19 recently at South Texas College’s Starr County Campus, De Leon says she has volunteered her time throughout the county to help residents in need.
Born and raised in Rio Grande City, De Leon says she comes from a family of nurses. Her mother is a nurse, which inspired her to pursue a career helping people.
“Today as a community, nursing students, pharmacists, the county, we are all working together to help people, encourage and educate them on getting their vaccine. It’s never too late,” De Leon said. “There is plenty to go around and it’s very important to stay safe and help out one another and hopefully everyone with time gets around to getting the vaccine they need to stay safe.”
“Today as a community, nursing students, pharmacists, the county, we are all working together to help people, encourage and educate them on getting their vaccine. It’s never too late.”
De Leon is currently in the South Texas College Vocational Nursing Program and will be graduating this December with her LVN. Her goal is to pursue a career as a registered nurse, and eventually complete her Bachelor of Nursing and finally become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
“I see the way my mom is with her patients, and it made me want to follow in her footsteps,” De Leon said. “I’m just taking it step by step, but I really love this program. I really love that STC gives me this opportunity to pursue my career goals and I can’t wait to end up in the field one day and start helping other people.”
Following through with an announcement of a partnership to begin utilizing nursing students to assist with vaccination drive events at all campuses, STC in collaboration with Starr County held their latest vaccination clinic on Sept. 30.
The college and county along with the business community are seeking to help mitigate the spread of the novel virus by providing the vaccines free of charge to students, faculty and staff.
“We are here at STC to help out the community and get them vaccinated. I think it’s very important that we keep pushing the vaccine, especially to the Starr County community,” said Jesus Rios, Clinical Pharmacist Coordinator for Lino’s Pharmacy in Rio Grande City.
It’s essential that everybody get vaccinated, and at this point I know we are very close to that goal we have here, but there are still plenty of people here in the county who are supposed to get vaccinated,” Rios said. “The awareness is here, and Starr County is doing a great job doing that, and STC bringing all their students is also making a big impact in getting the community vaccinated.
Leaders with STC and Hidalgo County have emphasized that they intend to work collaboratively, alongside their counterparts in Starr County, to provide effective and equitable COVID-19 vaccines to community members.
“STC is part of the community, and this is a great event because we invite the whole community to come and get the vaccines,” said Dr. Maria Rosas, STC’s new COVID-19 Prevention and Response Manager. “I believe the community responding the right way because they know that STC is like a home for the community. They can feel safe here, and they know they are going to receive the best service…we are promoting and we are doing our best and the community is coming to get the vaccine because they know that STC is doing the best to give them the service they deserve.”