Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
After more than two decades serving her community from the quiet aisles of a library, South Texas College graduate Veronica Hernandez Casas is proof that retirement isn’t always an ending. It can also be a powerful new beginning.
At 46, she’s earned her associate degree in Health Information Technology, opening the door to a promising new career and stepping into the field not only as a professional, but as a mentor and role model.
“I spent most of my life working in a public library. I was a library assistant for a very long time, but toward the end, I started to feel stuck, I knew I needed a new challenge,” she said. “Health Information Technology caught my attention because it shares some of the structure I loved about library work, but in a completely new setting. Now, I feel excited and motivated for what’s next.”
A dedicated mother and wife, Casas began her career at the McAllen Public Library in 2000 and devoted herself to raising her now 20-year-old son, often putting her dreams of higher education on hold.
“After I graduated from high school in 1998, I was still unsure about what I wanted to do,” she said. “While working full time, I started taking architecture drafting classes at STC, but I quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. Then, when I became a mom, my priorities shifted, my son came first. I stayed in my job because it offered the stable schedule I needed to be there for him, and that’s what I chose to focus on.”
Over the years, she poured herself into her work and her family, driven by a deep passion for serving her community, and finding purpose in the structure of library life and the meaningful role of connecting people to knowledge.
Married to a military man and devoted to raising her son, Casas focused on her family, an effort that’s now come full circle as she celebrates graduation alongside him. Her son recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
“I’m so proud of him. He’s incredibly smart, and now he’s applying to graduate programs,” she said proudly. “Thanks to STC’s Engineering Academy through Dual Credit Programs, he earned his associate degree before even finishing high school. That inspired me. When he left for UTSA and my husband and I retired, I thought, ‘It’s my turn. It’s time to go back to school.’”
In 2023, she made the choice to reenroll at STC, though it came with its challenges. Dropping her classes more than 20 years ago had left a lasting impact on her grade-point average (GPA), making her return to college in an uphill climb.
Determined to succeed, she had two goals: to ace every class and avoid burning out.
“One of the best things about this program is that I could go at my own pace, and I did, because I promised myself I wasn’t going to quit this time,” she shared. “But after being out of school for 20 years, it was definitely a challenge, especially being surrounded by classmates my son’s age, fresh out of high school.”
Focused and determined, Casas poured herself into each course, from Medical Terminology and Pharmacology to Anatomy and Physiology, and she quickly found a supportive community that encouraged her every step of the way.
In turn, she became a mentor and source of support for her younger peers.
“Earning all A’s in my first semester motivated me to keep going,” she said. “But what truly kept me inspired were my instructors and classmates. Throughout the program, I found myself sharing resources and encouraging others. I was fortunate to be in a place where I could focus entirely on school, but many of my peers were balancing jobs and parenthood. I saw myself in them, and I wanted to help them as much as I could.”
She also took initiative in her newfound profession by attending meetings and joining the Rio Grande Valley Health Information Management Association (RGVHIMA).
Her dedication not only led to her being selected to volunteer with the Texas Health Information Management Association (TxHIMA), but also earned her a $500 RGVHIMA scholarship, an honor awarded to just one student each year.
“I didn’t even know I qualified, I was just focused on bringing up my GPA,” she said. “To be chosen after everything felt incredible. It means everything.”
Now preparing to sit for her Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification, she is looking ahead to a future in medical coding or cancer registry.
“I was lucky enough to be placed in DHR Health’s medical records department two semesters in a row, and I also got to see firsthand what medical coders do, how they analyze and abstract data. It’s fascinating,” she said. “We also heard from alumni working in really interesting roles, such as cancer registrars, who collect and manage critical data used in cancer research. That really opened my eyes to all the different paths I could take.”
Now considering a bachelor’s degree, Casas knows her journey is far from over, and she’s deeply grateful for the encouragement she received at STC that helped her take the first step.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my instructors. They guided me, supported me and really believed in me,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t think I could have done it without them. If I hadn’t felt inspired by them, I might have given up. But they kept reminding me that I could do this, and because of them, I did.”
For more information on the Health Information Technology program or other programs offered at STC’s Nursing and Allied Health Division, visit nah.southtexascollege.edu/ or call 956-872-3100.
