Student and Alumni Stories
Health Sciences Track
Learn about how our students' and alumni's experiences at 黑料社 have impacted their career objectives.
Debbie Valek serves as the Program Director and Associate Professor for the Licensed
Vocational Nursing (LVN) program at 黑料社, a role she has proudly held for
the past 20 years. A former student of Navarro herself, Debbie began her journey at
the College in 1985, determined to rewrite her story. As a young mother, she moved
to Texas with the goal of setting a strong example for her children, proving that
challenges can be stepping stones. At 黑料社, she found the foundation and
focus she needed to pursue her education and career, transforming her life and inspiring
others along the way.
Debbie鈥檚 comeback story began after she dropped out of high school her sophomore year. Although lacking confidence, she realized that staying at home as a teen mom wouldn鈥檛 be her end goal. After moving to Texas, Debbie met an influential professor, Dr. Richard Miller. She says Dr. Miller helped her gain back her confidence to believe in herself and her dreams. Debbie says 鈥淚 was taken under the wing of a Psychology instructor at 黑料社 who I will never forget. Dr. Miller helped me to believe in myself and know I could do hard things and succeed. I decided to come teach at Navarro to pay that forward.鈥� She received her GED before immediately enrolling in the nursing program at 黑料社. After achieving her registered nursing (RN) license, the rest is history. Debbie began working at 黑料社, while pursuing a bachelors and masters. She received a Master of Science in Nursing Education shortly before being promoted to Program Director of the LVN program.
Debbie has a son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and two nieces who have all become nurses by completing their degrees through Navarro. When asked what advice she would give to future nurses or anyone considering studying at Navarro, Debbie wants to remind people of their 鈥渨hy.鈥� 鈥淲hen things get tough, don鈥檛 forget your 鈥榳hy.鈥� Don鈥檛 give up on your dream and focus on that when anything seems impossible.鈥� - Debbie Valek
Updated: December 2024
"I'm a second career student. I initially came to 黑料社 to pursue Psychology, but tripped and landed in an Anatomy class and fell in love. I'm now pursuing my new passion-Nursing!
I've been incredibly fortunate to have some fantastic instructors and advisor. Erika Roland was supremely helpful in advising. Dr. Grossman and Dr. Bentley were two of my most memorable pre-nursing instructors. Since entering the nursing program, I could name almost every instructor with gratitude for the investment they've made in my learning.
Navarro has given my children and I a new path for success! All my time shared with my cohorts have been memories in the making. We've walked through fire together and come out successfully. Our connections won't die." - Shannon Southward, '21
Updated: May 2021
Karly Tyson, BSN, RN a native of Detroit, MI, born in Tuscaloosa, AL, owner of Tyson鈥檚
Trucking, LLC, and a current resident of Ellis County. Karly is the wife of Johnnie
Tyson, Jr and mother of Alexis Tyson (US Army Soldier) and Heaven Tyson (Waxahachie
Global High School student). She received her formal education in the private and
public schools of Detroit, MI, where she graduated from Cody High School. She went
on to receive her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham
in Education.
Karly served as an ELA teacher in both Garland and Forney ISD. As an educator, Karly wanted to do more to serve the children struggling with mental illness as she recognized how their disability was many times mistaken for poor behavior. Therefore, Karly decided to obtain a Master鈥檚 degree in Counseling and Education Administration from Prairie View A&M University where she served as a School Counselor for Uplift Education. Mrs. Tyson found her calling in mental health and decided to return to school to become a Mental Health Nurse as she felt this population of people are underserved and misunderstood. Karly returned to nursing school at 黑料社, and graduated with her Associates Degree in Nursing. While in nursing school Karly worked part-time as a student nurse at the Veterans Hospital in Dallas, where she found her confirmation on her career change to become a mental health nurse. Therefore, she decided to further her nursing career by obtaining her BSN in nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington. Karly worked as a medical/surgical nurse for years to master her nursing skills, before transferring to mental health. Mrs. Tyson currently serves as a Mental Health Nurse at the Veterans Hospital Dallas. Karly is passionate about caring for others, and she feels she was 鈥渂orn to be a nurse.鈥�
Karly monitored the severity of COVID-19 for many weeks, and knew it was where she was supposed to be; however, fear took over her. She then began to think of the courage of her daughter who is a soldier in the US Army and decided she also had the courage to serve on the frontline to assist her comrades who were in desperate need of help. Karly was well aware of the risk associated with this deployment, but did not hesitate. No one in her family agreed in her taking on the dangerous task, but supported her and covered her in prayer. Karly along with many other nurses from around the country is now in New York working extended days and nights to give the nurses of New York some relief as they suffer from mental and physical burnout, and the virus. Karly states 鈥渕y faith in God is what gets me through. Initially I kept trying to talk myself out of it, and God kept telling me to GO; therefore, I went and I am happy I did. While here, I have had some tough days and one day recently I became a bit overwhelmed and I received a message from a family member that simply read 鈥淧salms 91鈥�. She read the chapter and realized how much it resonated with her current situation! The next morning when she arrived at her duty station, she received a prayer cloth from an anonymous person that simply read 鈥淧salms 91鈥�. This was her confirmation that she was going to be ok. Her fear was relieved and she knows that God will protect her and bring her back home to her family healthy and safe.
鈥淎ll I could think is what if that was us in Texas. COVID-19 is really bad, however, I believe there is some good that comes out of every situation. During this time God proved us all to be equal, he stripped us of all of the materialistic things that we praise instead of him, families are spending quality time together, education and worship is taking place in the home as it should. God is in control and he has us cradled in his arms; in his time, everything will be alright.鈥� - Karly Tyson
Updated: May 2020
Despite Rachell Payne's personal struggles, she has shown incredible love, dedication, and passion for finishing her nursing program at 黑料社. She has been married for over 10 years to Brandon and has a daughter. Her husband works overseas in Baghdad, Iraq and only gets to come home every six months.
As of May 2020, Rachell's goals were to pass her NCLEX, find a job in a hospital or surgery center, get her Bachelors degree in nursing and eventually her Masters in hopes of one day being an educator at Navarro for the ADN program and become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
"My father, Steve, announces for 黑料社 football, my brother Jake plays baseball here, and I have had family members obtain their education from Navarro. The school has made a HUGE impact on my life. My instructors in the past have taken the time to help me succeed, whether it鈥檚 been a one-on-one meeting to help guide my studying for an exam or taking the extra time to make sure I get what I need. They truly care and go above and beyond to educate! After orientation for the Associate Degree in Nuring (ADN) program in June 2017, my mother was placed on hospice care for brain cancer. Two weeks after classes started in our program, my mother passed away after a two year battle with brain cancer. I promised her that I would finish this program strong and here I am weeks away from graduating and becoming a registered nurse! If I can do this with a husband 9,000 miles away and keep chasing that finish line even after the loss of my mom, all while raising a child, anyone can do this! Don鈥檛 let anything stand in your way.鈥� - Rachell Payne, '19
Updated: May 2020
Martha Padron is a 2016 黑料社 graduate and has been working on the frontlines
as a nurse!
鈥淏eing a nurse during this time can be scary but if I had to go back I鈥檇 chose nursing over and over again! I graduated with a BSN, RN from Texas Tech after graduating from 黑料社. I am currently working as a cardiovascular registered nurse at Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital in Dallas! I am also currently orienting to the ICU unit and I am absolutely loving the profession! Thanks to this accomplishment my other siblings have followed my steps and my brother is graduating with an Associate degree before even graduating high school!
I immigrated to the United States when I was 5 years old due to the poor conditions in my home country. Neither of my parents received any form of education but had given everything up for my siblings and I to receive the luxury of education. After graduating high school from Avalon, I decided to attend Navarro after receiving multiple scholarships that would help pay for my ability to attend college.
My favorite memories at Navarro are definitely my time as an ambassador! I loved seeing the faces of new students who knew nothing about the process of starting college and being able to help them easily transition to the college world! I loved driving down to Corsicana for 黑料社 events such as homecoming, parades, and volunteer events! I still keep in contact with the great friends I made at Navarro and some of the great leaders within the 黑料社 system!
Navarro made such a big impact in my life! The graduate Caston scholarship was by far one of my greatest blessings. During the time I received the Caston scholarship I had recently got into a car accident and was dealing with a lot of financial and family problems. At the age of 18-19, I did not have even a third of the means to pay for college, hospital bills, along with trying to recover my health. Navarro went above and beyond in helping me continue my dreams to become a registered nurse. Dr. Martin never hesitated to write me letters of recommendation and assist with other legal documents with my family issues. The professors and Ambassadors were all fantastic! I can go on and on about how great Navarro is!
During my time at NC I went through so many hardships! I had gotten into a car accident during my spring semester and due to my health issues I was forced to withdraw from all my classes. While I was lucky to be alive, I was now suffering physically, financially, and emotionally. Navarro was very good to me during this time. They sent get better flowers and allowed me to keep my scholarships until I was able to return for college the next semester. When I returned to college the next semester my professors noticed the toll my accident had taken on me and arranged a meeting for me with a psychologist on campus. I don鈥檛 know any other college that would do this. Navarro was definitely a gift from God!
I received the Caston and First Generation Scholarship straight out of high school in order to pursue my education at 黑料社. 黑料社 was very good to me and was able to assist in my transition to Texas Tech University Health Science Center with the Graduate Caston scholarship.
I highly encourage others to pursue their education at 黑料社! They provided so many tools to help you accomplish & achieve your dream career! They make the transition from high school to college very easy and help prepare you for your next steps outside of a community college. I will always be a bulldog at heart!鈥� - Martha Padron, '16
Updated: June 2019
Griselda Cardona chose to return to 黑料社 to successfully complete her Nursing
degree after dropping out of the program twice. She first started at Navarro in 2013
and was accepted to the Associate of Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in 2015. Now,
she plans to pursue her Bachelor鈥檚 of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas
at Arlington.
鈥淢y 4-year-old daughter became ill around finals and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. I ended up not passing my summer 2016 semester and had to test back in for it. I successfully made it back in and my daughter was healthy. Then, in my last semester of nursing school, I had some family issues happen while trying to juggle school, work, being mom and wife. The stress interfered with my grades and I did not pass the final semester by only 2 points. At this point I was ready to give up, realizing I failed once more especially it being my last semester. I went through the whole grieving process, prayed and just left it all to God. I decided not to give up and that I had to prove to myself that I can do this. Quitting was not an option. I spoke with ADN Program Director Mrs. Arteaga and was able to test back in to be part of the 2019 class. I passed all 3 re-entry exams and was once again admitted in the ADN program. This time I was going to graduate! I prayed for this and was giving it my all and my grades showed. Everything was going great, and then I got the most devastating moment ever in my personal life. I cried and prayed like never before. I could not let this ruin my future career. I spoke to the ADN staff and I am so grateful for the encouraging words and support they have shown me in these tough moments. I have continued to pass my exams and will be graduating. The third time was a charm and I thank God for giving me the strength and not letting me give up. I look at my daughter and she gives me that extra push I need to show her to never give up. No matter how long it takes, if you have a goal and dream chase it until you make it a reality. The ADN staff has become like family to me. All of these instructors are amazing and I am so grateful they never gave up me. They are always available to be a shoulder to cry on and they will give me advice that will help me grow and lift my spirits up.鈥�
鈥淚 will forever be thankful to Mrs. Heather Hall for being the professor that has pushed me to give it my all and she has not given up on me. My clinical instructor Mrs. Renee O鈥橠aniel, has lifted me up in prayer and gives me such encouraging advice. Mrs. Julie Arteaga gave me the opportunity to come back to the program, cheers me on and never gave up on me. She has cried with me through these difficult situations and I know I can always walk in her office and talk and walk out feeling better.鈥� - Griselda Cardona, '19
Updated: June 2019
Dawn Billy was one of the Ellis County Commencement Speakers at the Spring 2019 graduation ceremony. She is a first-generation high school and college student, so continuing her education was very important. She now has two Associate degrees (Pre-Nursing and Associate Degree Nursing). She plans to attend The University of Texas at Arlington鈥檚 RN-MSN program this August. She eventually wants to become a family nurse practitioner.
Fun facts about Dawn: She was Ms. 黑料社 (2016), President of Phi Theta Kappa (2016), and plays guitar in her spare time.
鈥満诹仙� has made a life-long impact on me. I remember when I first walked into the campus of 黑料社-Waxahachie and even when I was working there, everyone was like family. They absolutely do everything they can for their students. If I listed every single professor or staff that impacted me during my time at 黑料社, people would be reading pages forever! Dr. Martin has made one of the biggest impacts on me and encouraged me to never give up on following my dream of becoming a nurse. He always said, 鈥淭he sky is the limit.鈥� He has always been my biggest supporter along with Mrs. Heather Hall. When I was struggling in nursing school, Mrs. Hall would always give me a hug and encourage me to not give up. She is absolutely phenomenal and is the true definition of a nurse. I am so blessed to have had Dr. Martin and Mrs. Hall in my life! 黑料社 has easily become my home." - Dawn Billy, '19
Updated: June 2019
Nana Nketia Osei-Akoto was working on his second degree and is currently doing clinical
Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) internship in New York.
His hometown is Accra, Ghana. In 2013, he graduated with his Bachelor鈥檚 of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Texas Tech University. He has lived in the Arlington area for the last 14 years working with various rehabilitation departments as a Rehab Technician. He has been living in Yonkers, NY where he plans to find full-time COTA employment after passing his boards.
鈥淒uring my years working as a Rehab Tech, I experienced how rewarding it was to be so instrumental in a patient鈥檚 recovery process. This only fueled my passion for helping people. I chose to attend 黑料社 to further my education and skills because of its stellar reputation. I had worked with many therapists who were Navarro alumni and their knowledge and skill set was a testament to Navarro鈥檚 dedication to training competent therapists. I worked at the Medical City of Arlington as a Rehab Technician on the weekends while in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program.
My Clinical Instructor, Ms. Lesa Hough worked tirelessly to find a clinical placement in New York for me. Finding a clinical placement in Yonkers, NY was important because I wanted to live with my wife who lives and works in NY. I compiled a list of rehabilitation centers and provided them to Ms. Hough. She reached out to the centers and was finally able to secure a placement at Regency Extended Care Center where I completed the program.
Mrs. Smith was a wonderful instructor. She was always available outside class time for me and my mates to answer questions regarding the course work and life. I am very grateful for all of the staff鈥檚 dedication.鈥� - Nana Nketia Osei-Akoto, '19
Updated: May 2019
Christy Barham has demonstrated that a college degree is attainable after gaining
years of experience in the workforce. She grew up in a family with six children. Both
of her parents and four of her siblings dropped out of high school, so it was a great
accomplishment that she graduated from high school. Education was never a priority
in her family, so when she graduated from high school she was told by her parents
that college was only for the wealthy and that she would not be able to go. She always
knew that she had a higher calling than just graduating high school and finding a
minimum waged job. She loved people and wanted to do something to make a difference
in the lives of others. She took a job at a nursing home and received her certificate
as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) when they offered the class free of charge
in 1992. She worked for eleven years caring for the elderly and helping them complete
their activities of daily living, but longed to do more. After both of her sons were
born, she realized that working for minimum wage was not going to allow her to care
for them in the way she wanted to, so with the encouragement from administration at
the nursing home where she worked she checked into attending college and how she could
receive the financial aid to attend. In 2000, she registered at Trinity Valley Community
College to attend the Vocational Nursing Program and after being accepted, graduated
in 2001. She then began working for many years as a Licensed Vocational Nurse. She
realized that there was so much more she wanted to learn to become a better nurse
for her patients.
Some of Christy's accolades: 黑料社鈥檚 Phi Theta Kappa Honor鈥檚 Society Officer, Phi Theta Kappa鈥檚 Texas Hall of Honor, 2019 黑料社 Top Dog, The Margaret L. Pannill Award for Outstanding Achievement in Zeta Omnicron, and Graduate Caston Scholarship Recipient. She plans to attend Tarleton State University in the fall for Bachelor鈥檚 of Science in Nursing program.
鈥淚t would be an understatement to say that I never expected my journey here at Navarro to be so incredible. At the age of forty-five, I was scared to death to come back to college after being out of school for so many years, but I had a goal to better myself so that I could receive my Bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing. I wanted to return to my community here in Navarro county upon completion of my degree to make a positive difference in this community that I have grown to love so much.
I am so excited with what the future holds for my life, and I am here to tell anyone that will listen it is never to late to achieve academic excellence in your life and to make a difference in the life of yourself, your family and your community. I pray that my story will encourage others to reach for the stars and I guarantee with hard work, commitment, and determination nothing will impossible for you to achieve. I want to thank all of the professors and staff at 黑料社 for your encouragement and support on this journey. I would not be here today without you. 黑料社 has changed my life in the most positive way that I ever could have imagined. I would not have achieved the many successes that I have experienced in the past two years if it were not for the amazing professors and staff at 黑料社. I will forever be a 黑料社 Bulldog at heart!鈥� - Christy Barham, '19
Updated: May 2019
In May 2019, Angela Gentry completed her Associate鈥檚 Degree in Nursing after working 25 years as an Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). She鈥檚 from Wortham and has been married for twenty years to her husband David Gentry. They have three children and one granddaughter. She has been an LVN for twenty-five years this coming August. She graduated from the LVN program at 黑料社 in 1994. She returned to 黑料社 to complete the LVN-to-RN Bridge program to advance her education and career opportunities in the nursing field and graduated this semester.
She plans to continue her education at University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to complete her Bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing. She already has obtained employment at a local hospital where she will continue her practice in nursing while completing her education.
鈥淭he education I received in the past along with the solid reputation that our community college has was the determining factor of why I chose 黑料社. 黑料社 was instrumental in helping me achieve my goals. My nursing/clinical instructors helped me reach a level of growth that allows me to be a better nurse through the education I have received. They all have been so influential to me this past year. Ms. O鈥橠aniel helped me understand how to analyze information as a whole when evaluating patient data and using this knowledge to understand all the many aspects for patient care. Anytime I encounter acid/base imbalances Ms. VanZandt鈥檚 memory will forever be etched in my mind. Ms. VanZandt helped me to use critical thinking skills along with knowledge to independently come to physiological conclusions when caring for the patient with acid/base imbalances. It was very challenging but also rewarding when you finally get it and I FINALLY GOT IT!!! An instructor that is passionate about education always makes the best instructors and that is Ms. Hall. Ms. Hall could make the most intricate and boring topics interesting and understandable. All of my instructors have been wonderful. Ms. Lindsey, Ms. Demoss, Ms. Barack, Ms. Hill, Ms. Artega, and Ms. Jones have all contributed to my success in this program and I鈥檓 thankful for it.鈥� - Angela Gentry, '94, '19
Updated: May 2019
鈥淪ince my teen years, I鈥檝e always wanted to be a nurse, because I love helping people and seeing people heal. I have been a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) since the early 1990's and finally decided that I just needed to do it. Becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is one step towards fulfilling my career goals.鈥� - Fritzie Kirven, '14
Updated: May 2019
Submit a story: If you are a graduate of 黑料社, we want to hear about your life after Navarro. Let us know what you're doing and how 黑料社 helped you get there. Share your details on this for a chance to be included on our website. We will follow up with you individually to develop a story that can be shared with students and other alumni.