Nevertheless, She Persisted!

Written by: Shannon Smith

Like any other educational institution, Washington Adventist University is home to many students, each of whom comes from all walks of life. From a young age, Carla Figueroa knew she was meant to do great things. She aspired to work in the medical field and felt that it was her call to serve others. Though faced with many challenges throughout her life, Carla was determined. As a mother, wife, and nursing student at WAU who is projected to graduate in December 2022. Carla had to overcome several obstacles before attending WAU and has continued to overcome them throughout her college career.

Carla Figueroa was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but moved to El Salvador along with her three sisters when she was nine years old. She returned to the US only three years later and has lived in Maryland since. While attending middle school, she had to drop out of the 8th grade due to her falling pregnant. At the age of 15, she suddenly had to deal with motherhood and never finished middle school or high school—becoming a mother to four children by the age of 26. However, Carla’s dreams of going back to school never died: “Inside me, I always had the aspiration to continue school—I’ve always loved the medical field.”

Around this time, Carla became sick and had to get her appendix removed. It was her first medical emergency, and she felt vulnerable; she wondered what would happen to her and what would become of her children. Her oldest son was starting high school, and she had encouraged him to finish his education; however, she realized that she couldn’t push him into something Carla herself had yet to achieve. She wanted to be an inspiration for her kids, to tell them, “If I can do it, you can do it too.”

After recovering from her surgery, Carla decided to go to Frederick Community College (FCC) and ask how she could get her GED. At the time, Carla worked as a receptionist; she would go to work full-time in Takoma Park and then go to her 6:30 pm class every day in Frederick. Despite the hardship, Carla was impassioned: “I just felt that I was meant to do it, and I believe that passion came from the Lord.” With the help of FCC, Carla received her GED in 15 months. Acquiring her GED gave Carla the confidence to go even further, and she resolved to pursue higher education. She asked God for guidance, praying that she could find a different job to work at night. She prayed for the stability to quit if she had to because Carla felt called by God to fully dedicate herself to going back to school. Less than a month later, she was promoted to Office Manager at her job in Takoma Park, which would allow her to work at night; it was an answer to her prayers.

Carla continued going back and forth between Frederick and Takoma Park, searching for a place to continue her education. One day, she happened to pass Washington Adventist University and saw a sign advertising the Masters in Nursing program. She went in and asked what she needed to become a nurse. Carla recalls the kindness of the people who helped her: “They asked me about my educational background… And they never rejected me or made me feel like it was impossible.” With WAU’s help, Carla was admitted— a “big milestone,” in her words. “...I just felt supported, and I just knew that the Lord provided that.” Today, Carla is only a month away from her final exam, which will allow her to graduate with a BA in Nursing. “It is a dream come true…I was telling my son that I could still obtain my doctorate in Nursing, and my son said to me, ‘Mom, if you become a doctor, I’ll become [one] too.” This meant the world to Carla; now, her children are also attending college or following Carla’s example of pursuing their dreams. Carla will be the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Carla also credits her family for helping her to achieve her dreams: “This journey has been a family project, and we see it as a family achievement.” Her husband helps run the household in her absence, and her two oldest children help take care of her two youngest as she studies. Carla’s youngest daughter loves neurology and quizzes her on different topics, which helps Carla with her nursing studies. Through it all, her husband of 24 years has been by her side. “He was my first boyfriend, and I always knew he was meant to be my husband…we started parenting life very young, and he has always supported me 100%.” The full support of her family has allowed Carla to do things like participating in the clinical student program at Johns Hopkins, of which she was selected from 600 applicants. There, she can gain hands-on experience working in different departments like the NICU.

Despite all of the hardships Carla has overcome, she doesn’t regret her educational journey one bit. Although she was scared and hesitant at first, ultimately, she “felt a calling in [her] life” that led her to pursue her dreams and she encourages others in similar situations to do the same. “I may be challenged for a few years of my life, but the future…will be so rewarding. Money can perish and lose value, but education, no one can take from you. Ten years of hardship are no greater than 40 years of enjoying doing what you love.” With this in mind, Carla dreams of obtaining a dual Doctorate of Nursing Practitioner in both pediatric primary and acute care. And once she graduates, there’s no stopping her.