Leticia Garza will follow her family’s footsteps as she enters her first semester at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
"My dad is a graduate of A&I and A&M-Kingsville," Garza said. "I've got uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews."
She is one of about 20 students in the college’s first cohort of the Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Garza will also be a Javelina at the same time as her son, Alex, a music major.
"If everything goes as planned, we may even walk the stage together," she said.
The Beeville native joins the Javelina lineage this semester as part of the inaugural class for the university’s newly-created College of Nursing and Health Professions. In addition to online classes, she will continue to work full-time for a nonprofit health center where she lives.
By the time she walks the stage — in about two years — the need for healthcare and nursing professions will continue to rise. It's a need that she’s seen firsthand, working 17 of her 20-year healthcare career as a registered nurse.
"I've kind of seen things very different than I used to see them when I worked at the [emergency room]," she said. "It's really motivated me to go back to school, so I can definitely have that better understanding of how we can take care of our community."
Healthcare professions are anticipated to outpace average job growth through 2034. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects on average more than 189,000 openings for registered nurses per year. Employment is projected to grow five percent from 2024 to 2034.
"It is going to help start shortening that gap. . .this program is really going to help a lot to bring in more students and try to close up that gap within our areas over here."
In 2024, Texas designated 224 of 254 counties as health professional shortage areas. Over 6 million residents lived in a county with too few healthcare providers.
Denise Neill, A&M-Kingsville Director of Rural Nursing and Health Sciences, said there’s a comprehensive need.
"One was the shortage of nursing," she said. "One of the major factors, though, is that students would come to preview days on campus, and then say, 'Well, I'm not going to enroll at Kingsville because you don't offer nursing.' "
Medical education has grown significantly in Kingsville in the past year. In addition to the new college, Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine opened a rural campus in Kingsville this year. Area high school students also now can participate in a camp to learn more about working in healthcare.
"We're seeking opportunities for the students to get their clinical experiences in this region," Neill said. "With the hope that they will stay and contribute to advancing health care in this region."
A&M-Kingsville President Robert Vela said the partnerships have been a long-time development and needed to maintain quality rural healthcare in the region.
"I think a lot of eyes are on on this project, because I know this could be the key to ensuring that no one in Texas, especially rural Texas, is left behind."
Prior to committing to A&M-Kingsville, Garza had considered furthering her education through universities in San Antonio and Arlington. Legacy status and online courses led her to pursue her educational and professional goals closer to home.
"Being the first into this class, I know it's going to be a challenge; because it's going to set some of the standards moving forward."
This fall, she will join her classmates — and potential colleagues — as the state continues to shape what rural healthcare looks like, and maintain the staff to keep it going.
