Page 9 - ImpactReport_FY19

Elizabeth beat the odds

and pursued her dream

s a technician in the discovered Parkland’s
mother and baby unit Education at Work
at Parkland, program. The program covers
Elizabeth Oviedo was tuition, books and fees for
encouraged to pursue a participants; provides
nursing degree by her childcare services; and offers
co-workers. But the access to a career coach.

“Parkland gave me the extra push and
support that I needed. Having someone
believe in me made me feel that I had to
prove that yes, I could do it.”

challenges to getting that Elizabeth graduated with
degree came in rapid an associate’s degree in
succession; the birth of nursing in December 2018
her first child with an and is now a registered
unexpected newborn nurse in the mother and
intensive care unit stay, baby unit at Parkland.
an accident that left her “When I came back to the
husband unable to work, unit as a registered nurse, I
and the death of her mother. was in disbelief,” she said.
She had almost given “I walked around thinking
up on school when she ‘wow, I did it.’”