STC and H-E-B Help Young Mom Reach Education Goal
For Valley native and superhero mom, Giselle Reyes will walk the stage Dec. 12 and receive her bachelor’s in hand in health services management. The working mother credits her family mentors for inspiring her to give her daughter a better future.
For working moms everywhere, Giselle Reyes a working student and mother to a two-year-old toddler is earning her Bachelor’s in Medical Health Services Management, one of four baccalaureate degrees offered at South Texas College.
The 23-year-old and longtime H-E-B employee and STC student is walking the stage this December following similar family footsteps in an all-familiar field.
“I've grown up in the Valley, born and raised here and when I was in high school applying to colleges, I kind of always been familiar with STC since I have a lot of family members that attended here.”
After Reyes enrolled in October 2020, she combined her love for the medical field and customer service skills learned in the grocery business, would make a fitting career.
“I've always wanted to work in the medical field,” said Reyes. “I just kind of didn't know where I’d fit in but right now, I’m working at H-E-B next door and I’m working with people a lot which has turned me to look at it from the business side of things with customer care.”
As she juggled work, school and the needs of her daughter, Reyes shares it hasn’t always been easy but that her “tribe” — a group of close mentors, has reminded her of her biggest why.
"I have a family friend who actually started off as a nurse and worked her way up to work in a managerial position and is now the director of that department,” shares Reyes. “And having a great support system to remind you of your reason on why you're doing what you're doing, I know is going to pay off in the long run. Everything I do is for my daughter.”
In taking her tribe’s advice, Reyes encourages other working mothers to attend school to live out their college dream.
“I feel like it’s important to go to school not just to learn the materials in class, but to gain the college experience with your classmates, your professors, the staff and everybody because it helps you grow as a person,” said Reyes. “It’s definitely helped me a lot and I think back to when I first started, and I feel like I've changed so much coming to school.”
"I have a family friend who actually started off as a nurse and worked her way up to work in a managerial position and is now the director of that department. And having a great support system to remind you of your reason on why you're doing what you're doing, I know is going to pay off in the long run. Everything I do is for my daughter.”
Her biggest inspiration while attending STC in choosing the medical route was her health care class taught by Dr. Hilaire S. Pierre.
“That class really did it for me because I really enjoyed it and thought ‘yeah, this is something that I'm interested in and working with people,’ she said reflecting.
Shortly after graduation, the McAllen native plans to continue her studies by earning her master’s degree in nursing.
“I've also felt as I've been doing my degree, that nursing is kind of an interest for me too because you’re still working with people and it is same thing,” said Reyes. “Having experience in both will be helpful, not just in management, but as a nurse because you’ll have that experience of how things work behind the scenes.”
For more information about STC’s Medical Health Services Management and other baccalaureate degree opportunities, visit https://catalog.southtexascollege.edu/baccalaureate-degrees/bat-medical-health-services-management/ .