(HARLINGEN) – On December 1, Texas State Technical College Chemical Technology alum and lab assistant Monique Jeudy will celebrate her anniversary with the college.

The 43-year-old graduated with an associate degree from TSTC in 2017.

“My senior year in high school, in 1993, an instructor from TSTC’s Chemical Technology program came to talk to us and the career possibilities stayed in my mind,” said Jeudy. “It was impressive.”

For Jeudy, college did not happen immediately. She is the mother to three girls, and the oldest was born immediately after Jeudy graduated from high school.

“I had to grow up fast. I was a mom,” she said. “I had a baby to support.”

So Jeudy put college on hold and worked odd jobs – Taco Bell, Cinemark and other office work. She even did medical billing and coding for her family’s home health business for nearly a decade.

“After I had my youngest, I was tired of never having a stable job and worrying about making ends meet,” said Jeudy. “It was time to do something for myself, get a degree; and that’s when I remembered TSTC.”

Jeudy began her journey at TSTC in the Fall of 2015 nervous and unsure how she would do, especially as the oldest student in her class.

“I was scared, but after my first semester I had straight A’s and I lost all doubt,” she said. I knew I could do it. I even became the class den mother.”

The Harlingen native would assist her classmates if they needed help and would sit with them to encourage the completion of their homework.

Her goal was to have everyone graduate together. She succeeded.

“There was no reason to not succeed in this program,” said Jeudy. “Every instructor had an open door policy and was always willing to help. It was refreshing seeing instructors care so much about the success of their students.”

Jeudy even served as the president of the Chemical Technology Club.

All of her experiences as a student, she said, prepared her for her current position as a lab assistant.

“I love my job and the sense of being part of something bigger than me,” she said. “Everyone was welcoming. My colleagues and students have become a second family to me.”

She said her job is rewarding and after completing a recruitment presentation at her alma mater – Harlingen High School, she said everything for her has come full circle.

“Being back on my high school campus reminded me about the TSTC guy who talked to us when I was a senior. Little does he know how his visit has impacted my life,” she said. “I hope that my visits can impact someone the same way.”

Jeudy said she is thankful for the opportunities that TSTC has given her, as a student and staff member. And although she already feels accomplished, she is eager to keep moving forward for herself and her daughters.

Jeudy’s middle daughter is about to complete her first semester at TSTC and Jeudy is also completing classes at the college so she can begin working toward a bachelor’s degree.

“I don’t want my girls to wait as long as I did to get a college education,” she said. “I want them to lead a better life and I want to set that example.”

She said she eventually wants to find a job in the industry as a plastics researcher, to create plastics using renewable and biodegradable resources.

“Because of TSTC I’m doing better for myself and my daughters,” said Jeudy. “I highly recommend the college, not because I work here, but because it has changed my life.”

For more information on Chemical Technology, visit tstc.edu.

Registration for Spring 2019 is underway. The deadline to register is January 2.