Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
McALLEN, Texas – Five years after walking away from college unsure if she would ever return, South Texas College Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) student Abagil Peña took a chance on starting over, a decision that has led her to a new career path and recognition as one of 200 students nationwide, and the only in the Rio Grande Vally, to receive the 2026 Chime Workforce Scholarship.
The 28-year-old student recently received the $1,000 award, funded by the Chime Scholars Foundation and administered by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honor society for students at two-year colleges.
“After being out of school for so long, it was scary to come back at first, but then I got reignited with a passion to help people through occupational therapy,” she said. “Being involved with my community and my school has taken me places I never thought I’d be, including receiving this scholarship.”
The Edinburg native graduated from Edinburg North High School in 2016 and pursued computer engineering at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). By her junior year, however, she began questioning whether it was truly the path she wanted to pursue and decided to step away from college.
What she expected to be a temporary break stretched into nearly five years.
“I started thinking, ‘Wait, is this something that I really want to do?’” she said. “I decided to take a break, and then the COVID pandemic happened, and I just never went back.”
Peña eventually began working at a local hardware store, where she met her boyfriend, who was studying occupational therapy at UTRGV. Hearing about his coursework and watching him work on a capstone project with adults with intellectual disabilities sparked her own interest in a field she had never considered before.
“I had never even heard about occupational therapy before, but he would tell me about his classes and what they were learning, and that’s when I started looking into it,” she said. “Suddenly, I found something I could truly see myself doing in the future.”
Peña enrolled in STC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2025 and found a new passion for helping others. Now, in her second year of the two-year program, she has her heart set on making a difference in the lives of her future patients.
“I love that you can do anything with it. You can help anyone with anything across the lifespan,” she said. “You can work with babies and kids to elders. I like that there is such a broad range of things you can go into.”
As Peña found her place at STC, her academic achievement led to an invitation to join PTK, where she learned about scholarship opportunities available to members.
Encouraged to take advantage of those opportunities, Peña applied for the Chime Workforce Scholarship, highlighting the extensive community service experiences she gained through the OTA program, from participating in Alzheimer’s and autism awareness walks and promoting heart health education to working with older adults through an Adopt an Elder project and implementing emotional regulation strategies with adults with intellectual disabilities at Camp University.
“Abagil came into the program really shy at first, and I love seeing that growth in our students as they prepare to go into fieldwork and eventually graduate,” said OTA Program Chair Celina Casas, OTR, OTD. “She has a big heart, she knows what she wants and she’s going to achieve it.”
Casas said she encourages eligible students like Peña to join the honor society and pursue its scholarship opportunities, even when the national scope of an award may make applying feel intimidating.
“A lot of times, they don’t apply because they know they’re nationwide and they don’t think they’ll get it,” Casas said. “I always tell them, if you don’t apply, you’ll never know.”
The Chime Workforce Scholarship supports students completing certificates or associate degrees that prepare them to enter the workforce in high-demand fields.
“I believe what made my application stand out was how involved I’ve been in the community because of the OTA program,” Peña said. “From the very beginning, we’re taught about caring for patients and how to interact with them. I was shy at first, but throughout my first year, I gained so much experience and became more confident.”
Expected to graduate with her associate degree next year, Peña is looking forward to a future in occupational therapy, with a particular interest in working with older adults and specializing in hand therapy. She also hopes to continue her education, eventually earning a doctorate and becoming an occupational therapist.
“I have STC, my faculty and Phi Theta Kappa to thank for all these new opportunities coming into my life,” she said. “Now that I’m back, I don’t intend on stopping. I found something I’m passionate about, and now I want to see how far I can go.”
For more information on STC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/occupational-therapy/ or call 956-872-3216.
