Midland College recently highlighted the accomplishments of alumna Marisol Ramos-Armstrong. After graduating, Ramos-Armstrong was able to realize her childhood dream of being a nurse, an occupation she has now held for several years in Midland.
"My journey to get to this point in my life hasn’t been easy; however, I’ve had some really great mentors," Ramos-Armstrong said in a press release from Midland College. "When I talk to young women about entering the nursing profession, I tell them that it takes perseverance. It’s important to have a goal, even if you have to achieve that goal in increments, like I did. I have an amazing career and God has truly blessed me with the opportunity to meet so many special people who are and have been my patients.”
In the press release, Ramos-Armstrong said that when she was in kindergarten, she wrote on a piece of paper what she wanted to be when she grew up. She wrote down “nurse,” and upon graduating from high school in Fort Stockton, Texas, her kindergarten teacher gave her back that piece of paper with her childhood career choice. Following high school, she moved to Midland in 1988 and began attending Midland College, earning a certificate in vocational nursing. She continued school while raising her children, eventually completing Midland College’s Vocational Nursing to Associate Degree Nursing Transition program and becoming a registered nurse.
In the article, Ramos-Armstrong said that for a lot of her time attending Midland College, she juggled attending classes, working and raising her children as a single mother. As told by her, “I had my son a couple of days before classes began, but I was there on the first day of school.”
She also mentioned that she “couldn’t have done it without the support I received from the faculty and staff at Midland College. They helped me get scholarships, loaned me textbooks and helped me obtain financial assistance so my two oldest children could attend the Midland College Children’s Center.” She particularly remembers Kay Floyd, the secretary in the nursing department, among the staff of Midland College who helped and supported her.
According to the press release, Ramos-Armstrong graduated with an associate of applied science degree in nursing from Midland College and worked at Midland Memorial Hospital for 10 years. While there, she began teaching chemotherapy classes in Spanish and started working for Texas Oncology as well. While there, the doctor she worked with, Ashutosh Rastogi, encouraged her to continue her education. Eventually, she got her master’s degree in rural health and education from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, completed a post-master’s degree in gerontological nurse practitioner, and got another master’s degree in adult/gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. She even went back to Midland College to teach a class as a part of her clinical training.
She currently works at Synergy Integrative Medical Clinic in Midland and has called this the best period of her life. Her children are grown and have children of their own, and she recently got married. She is also trying to share her knowledge with the community, doing things such as leading a Community Health Fair in Spanish at Templo Jerusalem in Midland in October.
The article highlighting Ramos-Armstrong ended with her stating that “I never regretted writing that I wanted to be a nurse.”