Family serves as catalyst for STC student’s success
South Texas College student Nelia Longoria decided to pursue a degree in Child Care and Development after having a family of her own and experiencing the joys that came with motherhood. To Longoria, who works at the Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center, the smile on a child’s face is priceless, and this is one of the reasons why she chose to make child care and teaching her life’s work.
“I love my job,” said Longoria. “I get to take care of children all day, and read to them, and teach them important social skills that will help them throughout their lives. It is such a rewarding career. I know that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I feel fortunate to be able to come to work every day knowing I am making a small difference in the lives of these kids.”
Longoria admits that juggling a family, a full-time job and school can be difficult at times, but what motivates her to succeed is the need to set an example for her children, and to make her mom proud.
“Earning a degree is very important to me because I want to be a role model for my kids, and I want to honor my mother, Belia, for all of the sacrifices she made to get me here,” said Longoria. “The biggest dream of my life would be to continue my mother’s legacy by encouraging my kids to pursue a higher education and to someday see them graduate from college.”
Longoria grew up on a small ranch in Tamaulipas, Mexico, where she had to walk seven miles each way to get to school. The family relocated to Weslaco when Longoria was 12, and ever since, her mother has remained her biggest supporter, constantly encouraging her to remain committed to her studies.
After graduating from Weslaco High School, Longoria eventually started a family of her own, but she didn’t let her education take a back seat to raising her family. She decided to forge ahead on her educational path, and enrolled at STC because classes were affordable and allowed her the flexibility that she needed to balance all of her priorities.
Longoria believes that enrolling in classes at STC was one the best decisions she ever made.
“Getting an education has helped me make better choices and has widened my horizon, and every hour I’ve invested had made me richer in understanding,” she said. “I’m grateful to all my instructors at STC for their guidance, and for making their classes very interesting and enjoyable.”
What advice would you give others interested in pursuing higher education? I would advise them to get a taste of college by starting off with a class or two and then slowly increasing their class load. Once they know that they can handle those one or two classes, and know what college is all about, this will encourage them to keep going. It’s never too late to pursue an education, and it’s one of the most important things a person can hope to achieve in their lives.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I love spending time with my kids. We get together and vote on fun things we want to do, and take it from there. My life revolves around my family, and every moment I spend with them is precious to me. It is very important that I show them that they can go to college too, and my greatest hope for them is that they pursue a higher education and someday graduate from college as well.
Who is your hero? Who or what inspires you the most? My mom, because she never stopped encouraging me to continue my education, and she would often say that the only reason she came to the United States was to provide her family with the opportunities that she did not have. I want to graduate to reward her sacrifice of coming to this country by herself to give us an education. My faith is also very important to me, and inspires me every day, and it is what helps me on my educational journey.