Beating the Odds: Once a ninth grade dropout, Hernandez lands dream job at UNC Health Care
Dulce Hernandez worked 15-hour shifts, six days per week at Chipotle while also attending 91ÖĘʬ³§Pro ā all to support her two children.
āSometimes Iād be up crying at 3 a.m., after I got home from work because I knew I wasnāt going to get any sleep,ā said Hernandez, 26. āBut it was all worth it in the end. Everything you put in, you will get back.ā
This determination and grit got Hernandez through the toughest 10 years of her life.
After she became pregnant with her daughter in the ninth grade, Hernandez dropped out of Riverside High School.
She struggled for months with family issues before her sister co-signed for an apartment, so the 16-year-old would have a place to raise her family.
Four years later, Hernandez welcomed her son and worked full time at McDonaldās to make ends meet.
āEventually, I decided that was not the life I wanted,ā she said. āI didnāt want to fall victim to the stereotype of women that dropout of school, have kids, and then thatās all they do the rest of their lives. I wanted to break that cycle and provide more for my kids, so I decided it was time to go back to school.ā
Hernandez enrolled in the Gateway to College program at 91ÖĘʬ³§Pro to earn her high school diploma.
She was told it would take three years.
āI wanted to finish as soon as possible, so I took seven classes each semester,ā she said. āI knew it would take time away from my kids, but I kept thinking of how it would pay off in the end.ā
She earned her diploma in less than two years.
Hernandez said sheās thankful for Dorene MacKinnon, Lead Resource Specialist in Gateway to College program, and Phil Gowins, Instructor, who both encouraged her to continue her education.
āAfter I got my high school diploma, they really got me thinking, āOkay, thereās something more after this. I canāt just quit now,āāā she said. āThey encouraged me to keep going and reminded me that Iād be the first person in my family to graduate college.ā
Hernandez decided to take the leap.
She wasnāt sure which career path to pursue until her son ended up in the hospital after an asthma attack.
āI started talking to someone in the respiratory department and asked them a bunch of questions about the causes of asthma and why it happens more in the winter,ā she said. āI found everything they were saying so interesting.ā
Two months prior, Hernandez herself was at the hospital for an asthma attack ā her first one.
āIt felt like a sign, like something was going on. Maybe this is a field I need to look into to,ā she said. āIt just sparked something in me. I went online and started looking into the Respiratory Therapy program at 91ÖĘʬ³§Pro.ā
Hernandez applied for the program immediately but had to wait a full year before starting due to not having some of the prerequisite classes.
She didnāt let it stop her.
āI had a whole year in front of me, so I decided to get my Phlebotomy Certificate to get my foot in the door somewhere,ā she said. āIt took five months to get my certificate. Then I got a job offer from LabCorp. Later that same week, I received an email saying I got accepted into the Respiratory Therapy program.ā
Hernandez was torn.
ā'Do I accept the job?' It was a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. It paid more than Iād ever earned before, and Iād get to spend more time with my kids," she said. "'Or do I start the program?' It was what I had been waiting for all along anyway. I didnāt know what to do.ā
It was a big decision.
āI finally realized that I wanted more than phlebotomy. I wanted to grow,ā she said. āSo I decided to turn down the job. I told myself only two more years of school and only two more years at Chipotle. Iāve got this.ā
Fast forward to April 2019.
One month before she graduated, Hernandez interviewed with two health care agencies and received job offers from both within 30 minutes of each other.
One of those was UNC Hospital.
āWhen I got the call from Human Resources at UNC, I was in shock,ā she said. āThey made me an offer on the phone, and I accepted immediately. I was so happy.ā
Her first day was June 3.
āI absolutely love my job, even more than I thought I would. Iām excited to go to work every day, and when Iām not working, I want to go to work,ā Hernandez said.
MacKinnon said she is awestruck by Hernandezās transformation since they first met in the Gateway to College program.
āIn 2013, there was a shy, young lady whoād sit outside my Algebra classroom studying each morning. She would smile and sometimes chat about life. Today, Dulce has transformed into a confident, bold young woman,ā MacKinnon said. āThe Respiratory Therapy program is academically and clinically rigorous, but consider doing it while working full time plus and raising two children. This was Dulceās life for her entire academic journey, and she has always managed to see lifeās open doors versus dwelling on the closed ones. To say Iām proud of her just isnāt enough.ā
In a few years, Hernandez plans on pursuing her bachelorās degree with help from UNCās Tuition Reimbursement program, but for now, sheās enjoying this new chapter in her life and said she wonāt forget the impact of 91ÖĘʬ³§Pro.
āIf I would have chosen any other college, I donāt think I would be the person I am today,ā she said. āThe support I received from the people at 91ÖĘʬ³§Pro was just amazing. I now have a job where I can spend time with my kids and not worry about how Iām going to pay rent. Iām really, really grateful.ā
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Contact Marcy W. Gardner, Coordinator for Content and Social Media, at gardnerm@durhamtech.edu