Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
McALLEN, Texas – At 25, South Texas College graduate Kessandra Hernandez has just earned an associate degree in Radiologic Technology and already secured a job, but the road to get there was far from easy.
Studying after putting her children to sleep, bottle-feeding her infant during online exams and driving more than an hour each day from Rio Grande City became part of her daily routine as she worked toward a better future for her family.
“When I became a mother, many people told me my journey was over, and that’s far from the truth,” Hernandez said. “Becoming a parent motivates you to work harder. You grow as a person while also setting an example for your children.”
Hernandez always knew she wanted a career in healthcare, but finding the right path took time. As she began nursing school, she welcomed her first son in late 2020 and stepped away from her studies to focus on her growing family.
Determined to continue, Hernandez enrolled in STC’s Vocational Nursing program in 2023. During her first semester, she learned she was expecting her second son, prompting her to pause her studies once again.
“I also realized it wasn’t 100% what I truly wanted,” Hernandez said. “After my second son was born, I struggled with postpartum depression. Seeing my classmates continue and graduate was difficult, but I wasn’t going to give up. I did my research and found that Radiologic Technology was a better fit for me.”
In 2024, and with a renewed sense of purpose, Hernandez started taking the courses required to apply to the competitive program while raising her two young sons.
“When I took the first introductory course, I had very little help with my children,” she said. “The class was online, and I remember asking my faculty if it would be okay if I had to feed my baby while taking an exam. They understood. I thanked God every day for giving me the opportunity to be in the program and asked Him to give me strength to balance being a student, a wife and a mom.”
Accepted into the program in the fall of 2024, Hernandez quickly settled into a routine that revolved around her family, school and a daily commute from Rio Grande City to STC’s Health Science Professions campus in McAllen.
“My children would get out of school at certain times, and I worried I wouldn’t make it to pick them up. Thankfully, my family helped when they could,” she said. “My study sessions weren’t like a normal study session where you sit down for hours. I’d sit down, and one of my boys would want a snack or need something. Sometimes I studied while lying in bed because my son wanted to fall asleep next to me.”
Despite the challenges, Hernandez gained confidence every day throughout the two-year program, especially once she stepped into her clinical rotations. Working with patients and seeing firsthand the impact radiologic technologists have on patient care confirmed she had found the right career.
“It may sound simple but knowing how to position patients correctly and capture the best possible images is incredibly important. Those images help lead to diagnoses and treatments that can be lifesaving,” Hernandez said. “My clinical rotations taught me that patient care is just as important as the technical side of the job. You never know what someone is going through, and I realized I wanted to be the kind of healthcare provider who helps people feel comfortable and safe. Even as a first-year student, patients would tell me I made them feel calm. That meant so much to me.”
Among her favorite clinical experiences was mammography, a specialty she hopes to pursue after earning her Registered Radiologic Technologist credential.
“There’s a lot of specialized positioning involved,” she said. “The images have to be accurate because they can help detect breast cancer early. That responsibility made me realize just how important our role is.”
Before graduation, Hernandez accepted a position at Starr County Memorial Hospital, where she will begin her career close to home while training in mammography.
“I feel so grateful for the opportunity to start my career in my community,” she said. “Staying close to my family is what’s best for us. My support system is there, and with my children still being little, that’s where I need to be.”
Looking back, Hernandez credits the encouragement of her faculty for helping her navigate the challenges of balancing school and family.
“They supported us emotionally too,” she said. “There were times when I really needed someone to talk to, and they were always there to encourage me and guide me.”
She also credits STC’s student support services, including the Providing Academic Support to Students (P.A.S.S.) program, library services and technology resources, for helping her reach graduation.
“My daycare was paid through the P.A.S.S. program, and I honestly don’t know how I would have completed the program without that help,” she said. “STC also helped with textbooks by allowing us to borrow them, which saved us a lot of money. They provided laptops and other resources for students who needed them.”
Now preparing to begin her career, Hernandez hopes her story encourages other parents to continue pursuing their education, regardless of the challenges they face.
“Balancing school and being a mom were the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she said. “It was a really tough journey, but my children were one of the biggest reasons I kept going. To anyone who feels like people don’t believe in them, put those comments aside, keep growing and never give up on yourself.”
For more information on STC’s Radiologic Technology program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/radiology/ or call 956-872-3192.
Information source: STC
