New Grad Maricsa H. Vasquez: ‘I Can Do It!’
Morganton, NC—As soon as you meet new nursing graduate Maricsa Hernandez Vasquez, you are impressed by her joyful demeanor. She bubbles with enthusiasm about recently receiving her diploma and radiates with excitement at beginning her career as a registered nurse. Maricsa is an exceptional example of the “I can do it!” attitude.
Looking back a few years, Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) nursing student Maricsa felt a lot of fear and self-doubt.
“I knew I loved the medical field, but I continually asked myself, ‘Could I really get my nursing degree?’ I was not sure I could do it.”
Every college student has doubts somewhere along the way but Maricsa’s situation was a bit different. Born in Mexico, she came to the Morganton area with her family when she was only two years old. For that reason, she found cultural and language barriers challenging. She also lacked a role model in the medical profession.
And there were real struggles for Maricsa. In fact, she had to repeat her second year of nursing school.
“It was very hard for me,” she relates. “Mathematics and science were weaknesses for me. While I saw other students enjoying their time out of class, I was consumed by my studies. I sacrificed a lot of time away from my family because I was always either studying or working. Honestly, I cried many times along the way.”
But this determined student had some secret weapons. In addition to her will to complete her degree, Maricsa has a wonderfully supportive family. When she started her journey a few years ago, her then-boyfriend (now husband) pushed her.
“He reminded me how much I wanted my degree—he just would not let me give up!” she explained.
This 2014 nursing graduate beams with happiness today. Maricsa, as the first generation in her family to graduate from high school and college, is already working as an emergency room nurse at Valdese Hospital. Armed with her “can-do” attitude, she is also looking ahead to completing master’s and doctoral degrees. Her heart’s desire is to participate in missionary work, going places where others won’t go and helping those that others may not want to help.
“I received spiritual help through my faith,” Maricsa shared. “I learned to be patient, to keep trying, and to sacrifice for something I wanted. I learned that anything is possible with faith. And I learned that if what you want doesn’t make you cry, it’s not big enough!”
WPCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing provides knowledge, skills, and strategies to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs which impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential. Coursework includes and builds upon the domains of health care, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination. Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities. To learn more about the College’s Associate Degree in Nursing program, please contact Cathy Freeman, nursing department head/nursing director, at 828-448-3535 and cfreeman@wpcc.edu
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Western Piedmont Community College is situated in the picturesque rolling foothills of Morganton, North Carolina and has served the citizens of Burke County since 1964. Each year, more than 10,700 students pursue personal enrichment, new skills for a job or career, high school diplomas, college degrees, and transfer pathways. Apply online or visit the Western Piedmont Campus to apply in person.