Mega Doctor News
With nearly 40 years of nursing experience and 25 years shaping future nurses at South Texas College, faculty member Victor Garza III now takes on a new role as program chair of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program.
Guided by his belief in the power of education to transform lives, Garza has touched countless patients as a nurse and inspired hundreds of students as a professor. Now, as program chair, he will help shape the future of nursing education in the Rio Grande Valley through one of the state’s leading programs, recently recognized for achieving the highest nursing licensure exam pass rate in Texas.
“When I worked at a hospital, I could help maybe two lives, two patients at a time,” he said. “As an instructor, through my students, I can reach hundreds more. Now, as program chair, I am humbled and excited to work alongside our incredible faculty, knowing the impact goes even further, improving the lives of countless patients and families through the nurses we prepare.”
Garza’s passion for serving others traces back to his roots. Born in Illinois, the 62-year-old was raised by parents from the Rio Grande Valley who had moved north for work.
At 14, his family returned to Mission and, after high school, he took his first hospital job as a nurse aide, not yet realizing it would lead to a lifelong career.
“I was just looking for a job, just to make some money,” he said. “In high school, I was a typical student, doing the bare minimum to get by. I didn’t understand the value of education until much later, when I finally attended college.”
Garza became the first in his family to graduate from college in 1985, earning his license as a vocational nurse. Four years later, he fully embraced the profession when he became a registered nurse after completing his associate degree in nursing.
Garza solidified his purpose as a nurse when meeting a 7-year-old patient with a cystic fibrosis and asthma diagnosis. Garza cared for him throughout his childhood and into adulthood, watching him grow up until he eventually passed away.
“Most of us are passionate nurses because we feel a calling, we want to help people or we meet someone who changes our life,” he said. “In my case, it was this little boy. When I met him, he was already halfway through what doctors considered his lifespan, and over the years I got to know him well. He changed my life because caring for him made me realize why I was meant to be a nurse.”
Joey defied the odds, living into his 30s and maintaining a strong relationship with Garza, who now shares his story, and many others, to inspire his students.
“I often share stories like this, because that’s when the textbook comes alive,” Garza said. “When I see them making the connection and their eyes light up, it’s no longer just black and white on a page, it’s real. Some stories have good endings and some don’t, but they carry emotion, and that makes the lesson stick. In 10 or 20 years, they may not remember my name, but they’ll remember those stories.”
Garza began teaching at STC in 1999, first in the Vocational Nursing program and later in the ADN Program, a path that inspired him to pursue both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Nursing, while also working as a nurse practitioner.
“There were times I was in school while also teaching at STC, or working as a nurse practitioner and teaching at the same time,” he said. “It was challenging, but it helped me support my greatest accomplishment -my wife and two daughters. Eventually, I left clinical practice to focus fully on teaching.”
Now in his new position, he is ready to build on the legacy the nursing program at STC has established in the region and the state, a record that recently earned the college a 98.4% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), the highest in Texas among schools of comparable size.
“In all my years here, I’ve never seen it that high,” he said. “It’s all because of our faculty. They’re dedicated and heartfelt, supporting our students to succeed while also impacting our community. I can’t say enough about how incredible they are.”
Garza experienced this pride firsthand when one of his daughters was recently hospitalized in a delicate situation. He watched as the care team, made up almost entirely of STC graduates, worked to save her.
Today, as he oversees a dedicated team of educators, he is committed to building on the college’s reputation as a leader in nursing education.
“We’re transforming lives. To help people like my daughter, there has to be someone to inspire students to get there and that’s our faculty,” he added. “I’m incredibly grateful to this team, which has inspired hundreds of students to where they are today. Because of that inspiration, my daughter is alive today. I’m really excited of what’s to come.”
For more information on STC’s Nursing program or other programs within the college’s Division of Health Science Professions, visit nah.southtexascollege.edu/ or call 956-872-3226.
