Mega Doctor News
By Joey Gomez
RIO GRANDE CITY, TEXAS – Guided by the support of faculty at South Texas College and the kindness of people in her hometown of Roma, Jocelyne Pena said she was instilled from a young age, the values of a close-knit community where people are always willing to help each other.
Inspired by her father’s work ethic cleaning pools in Starr County, as well as her grandmother, a working nurse, Pena said she grew up recognizing the importance of grit and perseverance in order to manifest success in college and life as she pursues a career as a pharmacist.
“My dad has always been a hardworking man, and I was always taught that no matter the cards you are given in life or what you were dealt, you will get to where you want to be as long as you put in the work to get there,” Pena said. “I follow this approach in everything I do.”
Initially looking to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps into a nursing career, Pena said she instead discovered a passion for pharmacy through a technician program at Roma High School.
It was this passion that allowed her to complete her licensure exams, which then enabled her to work as a pharmacy technician at the age of 17 before she graduated high school—it wasn’t long before pharmacies started calling.
She landed her first job working at Popular Pharmacy in Roma as soon as she turned 18.
“I had to wait a whole year to get hired because I wasn’t of age yet when I graduated high school, but as soon as I started, I realized that I really am a teacher at heart. I approached my job as a way to reach out to my community and just offer help to those in need,” Pena said. “You get to know people, and it means the world to me to give back in my own way.”
Now as a student at STC taking her prerequisite courses for pharmacy school, Pena said she has never been busier. Taking the Valley Metro bus every day from Roma to school and work, she balances two jobs including working at the pharmacy as well as another part-time job tutoring math at the Center for Learning Excellence (CLE) at the STC Starr County campus.
She also serves as president of the Girls Discovering Math Club on campus while looking to complete her prerequisites by fall 2026. She then plans to pursue her pharmacy degree at the Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy and return to her community in Roma to help those in need.
“The goal is to not stop until I get my doctorate in Pharmacy and then I’m going to push it even further, so I work within an independent pharmacy and serve the community I care about,” Pena said. “It takes grit, but I believe if you really want it, if you want to be something in life you have to have the perseverance to get there—there are no excuses.”
