Mega Doctor News
By Joey Gomez
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – South Texas College Dual Credit Programs together with Roma Independent School District and Starr County Memorial Hospital have enabled 10 students to make history by being the first-ever cohort to complete the college’s Emergency Medical Service Basic Program before graduating high school.
STC held a completion ceremony at its Starr County Campus to celebrate the students who attended the event along with their parents.
The ceremony brought together leadership from STC, Roma ISD and the medical community to congratulate the students as they look ahead to commencement in May.
“It’s remarkable to be celebrating STC continuing the momentum of emerging programs. Starr County is truly the key to success for South Texas College,” said STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D. “We are consistently growing in the quality of our programs, and we continue to break all types of records and barriers. Our main focus is in two major areas, and that is in technology and our health programs, which are responding to the critical needs of our region. We are very proud of all of our students who excel and continue to exceed expectations.”
In her address to students, STC trustee Rose Benavidez emphasized the impact the students stand to make in their community as they transition into a career of service to others.
“You have to understand that the work you want to do is not just to serve a community and have a good paying job, it’s to save lives,” said STC Starr County Trustee Rose Benavidez. “You must understand that this is not only going to change your lives or the lives of your family, it’s also going to change your community. We can’t find a better way to do that than with young students who understand already that this is what they want to do in their lives.”
As the Dual Credit Program celebrates 25 years in 2025, its partnership with the Roma school district is a testament to the amazing impact the program has had in preparing young students for rewarding careers before they even graduate high school.
Twenty-five years ago, STC introduced its Dual Credit Programs to the Rio Grande Valley community. Today, the program has emerged as a national leader and the only in Texas to be accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) serving 21 partnering school districts and students from more than 70 partnering schools like Roma ISD.
Across more than two decades of excellence, STC’s Dual Credit program has served more than 145,000 students and saved RGV families over $450 million dollars in tuition.
“We are very excited that this is our first cohort from Roma ISD,” said Rebecca De Leon, Ed.D., associate vice president of Dual Credit Programs and School District Partnerships. “It has been almost two years in the making in collaboration with Roma ISD and Starr County Memorial Hospital. Together we truly made this happen and this first cohort has truly been committed since starting in August 2024 and we are excited that they will be completing and graduating in May from STC. They have truly been dedicated to their coursework because they also have the high school component that they must complete so this shows you the dedication and commitment from the students as well as their families.”
Roma ISD Superintendent Carlos M. Gonzalez Jr said the first cohort of EMS students is only the start of a bright future in medical care for communities in the region.
“We are amazed by these students who committed to completing an extremely advanced, technical and demanding program,” Gonzalez said. “They are young, and full of energy and excitement for this new career path. We hope they can be part of fulfilling an extreme need for EMT’s in Starr County that has been a growing concern and problem for many years. This graduating class marks the start of a bright future not only for medical care in our community, but also for these bright young scholars who have made the Gladiator Nation very proud!”
Adrian Guerra, MD, president of the board for Starr County Memorial Hospital and Roma ISD Special Education director said the dedication by students is proof that they will be the region’s next generation of leaders.
“I truly believe that if you live a life of service to others, you’re going to live a very fulfilling life. So what these very responsible young adults are doing is setting themselves up for success,” Guerra said. “I know we are going to remain Starr County strong because these are from our own community, and they will be successful and thrive. You will see that in the near future that these students will be our next leaders and who will make a great impact in our community.”
Ariel Acevedo, EMS student and senior from Roma High School said completing the EMS program is personally significant because she will be the first person in her family to complete a college degree.
“My parents didn’t to college. My grandparents worked in the fields, so this is something that helps me to break that cycle because I want what’s best for my family and for myself,’ Acevedo said. “I can’t believe I’m almost done with this part of the program and I look forward to the next step. I am thankful to STC and the Dual Credit program for giving me this early opportunity to start my career.”
Erick Saldana, another EMS student and senior from Roma High School said he was inspired into the EMS program at STC after witnessing the work of first responders as a volunteer firefighter in Roma.
“I started as a volunteer firefighter and when I would go on calls I would see the EMTs and I was just amazed at their knowledge and using their skills to help people. I thought that was really inspiring how they did their job with such a calm demeanor despite everything else around them,” Saldana said. “I thought they were flawless and I just wanted to be like that. Just being a part of the first cohort from Roma High School, I feel like I am part of history. This helped me focus on my future without the other distractions in high school.”
For more information on STC’s Dual Credit Programs, visit www.southtexascollege.edu/dualcredit.
