Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
South Texas College and the Roma Independent School District have been awarded a $100,000 Healthcare Internship Fund Grant that will support students pursuing careers in healthcare while completing their clinical training.
Funded by the Texas Workforce Commission through Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley in partnership with Starr County Memorial Hospital, the grant will provide stipends of up to $900, helping future healthcare professionals reduce financial barriers as they prepare to enter the workforce.
“Healthcare is about much more than a profession. It’s about service. It’s about changing lives,” said STC Trustee Rose Benavidez. “For the first time, our students will be compensated while completing their clinical rotations in their own community. Before long, they’ll be the ones taking care of all of us when we need them the most.”
The first cohort to benefit from the initiative includes 11 eligible students in STC’s Vocational Nursing program, all of whom are expected to graduate at the end of July.
Students will receive $15 per hour for up to 60 hours of clinical training at Starr County Memorial Hospital and affiliated clinical sites. Eligible students may also receive up to $60 in gas cards, based on documented need, to help offset transportation costs while completing their clinical rotations.
“At STC, our mission is to create opportunities and transform lives,” STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D., said. “This partnership reflects that mission and demonstrates the kind of collaboration we need to meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals across our region.”
The grant will also expand opportunities for Roma ISD Health Science students by providing internship experiences throughout the upcoming academic year, allowing them to gain hands-on experience while exploring careers in healthcare.
Starr County Memorial Hospital Board President Dr. Adrian Guerra, said the partnership reflects the spirit of “Starr County Strong,” an effort that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring organizations together in service of the community.
“The thread that connects all of us is our shared commitment to Starr County,” Guerra said. “This partnership is another example of what can happen when education, healthcare and workforce leaders come together with one purpose, to invest in our people and build a stronger, healthier Starr County.”
For STC student Gaittlin Mireles, the grant comes at the perfect time as she prepares to graduate. She plans to use the stipend to help cover the cost of the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), the licensing exam required to become a vocational nurse, along with other expenses as she begins her career.
“I feel so fortunate because not a lot of people get the opportunity to receive something like this, to receive financial support for completing clinical hours,” Mireles said. “I feel the need to help people and be there for them because not all patients have family members. If I can make a difference in someone’s life, I would really like to do that.”
Fellow Vocational Nursing graduate Ricardo Garza said the stipend will help ease the burden of everyday expenses while he completes the program. Living on his own, he plans to use the funds to help cover gas, food and other necessities while preparing to take the next step in his career.
“It will help me a lot,” Garza said. “I’ve wanted to be a nurse ever since I participated in a patient care technician program in high school. I knew it was something I wanted to do because I enjoy caring for others. Receiving this type of support, even as a student, gives me even more motivation to begin my career.”
Information source: STC
See related story:
