What We Do Success Stories

Itzel Ramos, a native of El Paso, was nurtured by the desert sun and the echoes of her city. Single, with no children, she stood at the crossroads of ambition and necessity. The age of 28 found her weaving dreams amidst the arid landscape.

Project ARRIBA—a whispered promise. Schoolmates at EPCC carried its name like a secret—a lifeline for those who dared to reach. Itzel stepped forth, swift in her enrollment. Early November—the month of sponsorship. The nursing program at EPCC beckoned, but financial aid had slipped away. Village Inn employed her, $7.50 an hour—a fragile bridge between survival and aspiration. Home was her mother’s embrace—shelter, sustenance, love.

Nursing school—a tempest of textbooks, clinical rotations, and sleepless nights. Itzel juggled—work, exams, and the quiet promise she’d made to herself. But storms brewed. Second-semester courses—a rocky path. She stumbled, but resilience steadied her. Re-entry—the gift of second chances. She soared—passing each semester like a comet through the night.

May 2022—the air thick with achievement. An Associate Degree in Nursing—a compass pointing toward healing. National boards—their questions like constellations. Itzel answered, her inked answers stitching her fate. Now, Del Sol Medical Center welcomed her—an RN, her hands cradling lives. $29.60 an hour—more than wages. It was the echo of persistence, the currency of dreams.

But her story unfolds further. Bachelor’s degree—a distant star on her horizon. Itzel, the architect of her destiny, would build higher. Her mother—the cornerstone of her gratitude. And Project ARRIBA—the scaffold that held her dreams—would forever be etched in her heart.

So, Itzel Ramos, continue your journey. Stitch hope into wounds, listen to heartbeats, and whisper courage to those who need it most. Your legacy—a constellation of resilience, stitched with gratitude.

May your path be lined with compassion, and may your community feel the warmth of your care.

Itzel was an outstanding participant during her sponsorship in the program as she complied with policies and procedures. She was eager to learn as much as possible and always took initiative. I believe she is going to be a compassionate nurse who will provide excellent care to her patients.