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Parent Perspective Affordable and Excellent Programs
Parent Perspective Affordable and Excellent Programs Translate to Degrees for Mother and Son
As the mother of three, Maria Acuna was grateful for the opportunities her middle son, Pablo Garcia, found at Washtenaw Community College.
It started with the full-ride President’s Scholarship he earned upon graduating from Ann Arbor Huron High School, continued with the STEM Scholars program that challenged and supported him at WCC, and culminated with advisors who made sure he was on track to achieve his dream of transferring to the University of Michigan.
“We always knew Pablo was very smart, but finances are an issue for us,” Acuna said. “Now he has the opportunity to go to one of the best universities in the world. We’re very thankful for WCC.”
Acuna always stressed the importance of education to her children, so she envisioned the day one would receive a college diploma. What she didn’t anticipate was graduating herself on the very same day. That happened May 22, when both Acuna and Garcia wore cap-and-gown regalia to the WCC Commencement Parade.
“My mother has always been a motivation for me, so having a chance to graduate right next to her was something really beautiful,” Garcia said. Acuna was working in the Environmental Services department at the University of Michigan Hospital when she learned about WCC’s Sterile Processing certificate program, which prepares students for the high-demand field after just 16 credits.
She completed the program, passed the national certification examination and had a new job—with a boost in pay— preparing surgical instrumentation and equipment in the hospital operating rooms just two weeks later.
“I never thought I’d be graduating at the same time as my children,” said Acuna. “We were all very happy and made a lot of fun out of it.”
Garcia, who received his Pre-Engineering Science Transfer associate degree from WCC, was considering several four-year universities after high school but couldn’t turn down the free tuition provided by the President’s Scholarship, awarded to six students from each public high school in Washtenaw County. In retrospect, Garcia says choosing WCC “was the best decision I could have made.” “Saving money was important, but also Washtenaw is a good school and I met really great people along the way and had a great experience,” said Garcia, who was accepted into the Electrical & Computer Engineering School at the University of Michigan.
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