Before coming to Tyler Junior College, Karina Romero was apprehensive of the unknown.
“As a first-generation college student, starting college was both a significant accomplishment and an entirely new experience. However, there is a strong first-gen community at TJC, so talking with other students made overcoming new struggles together easier,” said Romero, of Tyler, who attended TJC on a full, two-year Presidential Honors Scholarship.
As her confidence grew, so did her involvement and success. She became active in the Hispanic Student Organization and the TJC Honors program.
On Friday, she will graduate magna cum laude with a degree in pre-nursing. She plans to transfer to UT Tyler in the spring and attend nursing school next fall.
“My goal is to begin working in a clinical setting to get experience before applying to nursing school,” she said. “Once I finish nursing school, my ultimate goal is to begin working as a NICU (neonatal ICU) nurse,” she said.
She gave high marks to her TJC experience.
“TJC really helped set me up for the future by giving me a solid foundation in my field and making sure I had the skills I needed for future classes,” she said. “The professors were supportive, and I got a lot of hands-on experience during labs and different projects, which helped me feel more confident. Plus, the career advice I got made a big difference in helping me figure out my next move.”
She continued, “What I’ll remember most about my TJC experience is the small class sizes that made it easy to connect with professors,” she said. “It was a place where I could grow academically, and I’m grateful for how it prepared me for the next steps in my education and career.”
To future TJC students, she offers this advice: “Although making the transition from high school to college can be challenging at first, it can become enjoyable by choosing the right counselors and, even more important, the right group of friends. Also, I would say that taking time to focus on yourself can have a big positive impact on how you perform in school. It's important to find a balance, because doing so will make your life easier.”