Student overcomes personal obstacles to succeed in TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services program

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Destiny De La Fuente became interested in the health care field when she saw the career success of a close friend who is a paramedic.

“(He) spoke about the rush of patient care through various high-intense situations in an ambulance,” she said. “I felt that it was a great fit (for me) because I enjoy helping others.”

De La Fuente is pursuing a certificate of completion in Emergency Medical Services – EMT at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. But her personal life has presented some challenges.

“I am a single mother with two children, and I have a part-time job,” the Harlingen resident said. “I was excited to earn A’s and B’s on my assignments. Then I began to experience personal family issues. It became a distraction near the end of the semester.”

The EMS instructors noticed a change and approached her.

“I made the instructors aware of the situation,” she said. “They admired my dedication as a single mother and as a student. They offered helpful time-management and studying advice. I put their suggestions into action. I practiced more and worked less to make time for my studies. I also began to budget and save money. That allowed me to refocus.”

With a new determination, De La Fuente is now on a path to success.

Adriana Contreras, a TSTC EMS instructor, said De La Fuente has a compassionate heart and enjoys helping others through patient care.

“Destiny’s children are her motivators,” Contreras said. “Her compassion and eagerness will result in a great EMT (emergency medical technician) career.”

De La Fuente recalled a trauma skills assessment as her favorite hands-on training.

“We learned how to splint any bone in the body,” she said. “That assessment teaches us where the patient is bleeding and for how long.”

De La Fuente said she is grateful for her program experience.

“The EMS instructors explain the hands-on training and answer every student’s question,” she said. “They provide us with additional attempts to make sure we learn it correctly. Now we are doing live scenarios in the immersive interactive EMS training lab.”

At its Abilene, Brownwood and Harlingen campuses, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedic, as well as certificates of completion in Emergency Medical Services – EMT, Emergency Medical Services – Advanced EMT AEMT, and Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic. An occupational skills achievement award in Emergency Medical Services – EMT is also available.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.