Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
Driven by compassion and a fierce commitment to helping others, South Texas College alumna Cynthia Gonzalez is dedicated to a lifelong purpose of empowering others to gain independence and advocating for those who need it most.
A first-generation college graduate and mother of two, Gonzalez was recently accepted into a doctoral program in Occupational Therapy (OT), advancing her purpose for using her voice, experience and education to create meaningful change in the lives of children with autism and their families.
“I see my own children in many of the patients I work with every day. Autism is the diagnosis I encounter most, and it holds a very special place in my heart,” she shared. “That’s why I want to keep learning, growing and gaining more training, to help as many patients as I can become independent and to support their families as well, working together toward the common goal of helping their child thrive.”
The second of nine children, born and raised in Mission, Gonzalez is the proud daughter of Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants. Growing up, she aspired to pursue Cosmetology and earned her license while attending Veterans Memorial High School.
After graduating, she began working at a local salon, specializing in threading eyebrows. It was there, during a routine appointment with a client, that an unexpected conversation sparked a life-changing shift, one that would eventually lead her into the world of health care.
“I was a single mother at the time, working long hours. My mom and grandmother practically raised my firstborn because I was always working. For him, I knew I wanted to do more,” said the 28-year-old. “One day, a client told me about occupational therapy and encouraged me to look into it. That’s when I found STC’s program, which would allow me to enter the field in just two years.”
The pandemic became the final push for her to enroll after the beauty industry shut down. In the fall of 2020, she began STC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program, facing numerous challenges as part of a cohort that started entirely online.
“Working with patients in nursing homes and hospice during my clinicals, that’s when it really clicked for me. I knew this is what I was meant to do,” she said. “Many people think occupational therapy is only for individuals with disabilities, but it also plays a critical role in helping people recover from strokes, injuries or surgeries, and in supporting older adults to maintain or regain independence. OT truly has the power to transform lives in so many ways.”
During the final months of her program, Gonzalez was pregnant with her second child, but she remained determined. She graduated in 2022 and gave birth just one day after taking her licensure exam.
“I’m really grateful to my instructors for encouraging me and making accommodations so I could finish,” she said. “Even though I graduated three years ago, I still keep in touch with them, and that’s one of the best things the program gave me – mentors I know I can always turn to.”
That same determination led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Medical and Health Services Management at STC, which she completed in 2023.
It became the steppingstone for her to apply to the doctoral program in Occupational Therapy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she will begin her studies this fall.
“Starting at STC really helped me,” she said. “My instructors gave me real insight into what occupational therapy is and what to expect in the field, and that led me to where I am today. You don’t fully learn everything until you’re actually out there working, but at STC, I got a head start. The training is very hands-on.”
For over a year, Gonzalez has been balancing her full-time job at All Around Therapy Clinic in Mission with raising her two sons, while her husband works away from home.
Grateful to her employer for the opportunities she has received, she plans to continue working parttime as an occupational therapy assistant and return as a licensed therapist once she completes her doctoral degree.
“I’m eager to keep learning so that the treatments I provide can make an even greater difference in our patients, especially those with an autism diagnosis,” she said. “I’ll always be grateful to STC for opening this door for me, without the OTA program, I might have never discovered my true calling. Now, I’m moving forward with a purpose bigger than myself: to change lives and to build a better future for my family.”
For more information on STC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/occupational-therapy/ or call 956-872-3216.
