Overview

After being raised in El Paso, Texas, Gricelda left her hometown to pursue her studies in Denver, Colorado. There she married a man who did not support her decision to get an education. After many year, she found the courage to return to school and obtained her associate’s degree as a Medical Assistant. However, she wanted more in life.

Soon after her graduation and a divorce that left her as a single mother with three children, Gricelda moved back to El Paso with the hopes of providing a better life for her children while making a difference in her community. She worked full-time at a dialysis center and attended school part-time to pursue a degree in nursing. In fact, a patient at the dialysis center suggested she apply to Project ARRIBA for assistance with her education.
She applied and was accepted into the Project ARRIBA program. Here, she worked with a caring staff that would not let her give up on her studies and provided her the support she needed to complete her degree in a family sustaining career field despite life’s adversities. It was still a tough road for Gricelda. She lost her home in the process and dealt with the hospitalization of one of her children during finals. But Gricelda persevered. She graduated fall 2016 with a bachelor of science in nursing. She is a great role model to her kids having shown them persistence and perseverance can and will pay off in the end. Gricelda recently passed her NCLEX (examination for the licensing of nurses) on her first try and is now working at DaVita Dialysis earning an average of $49,900/year .

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