On August 25, 国产探花 kicked off its 136^th academic year with its traditional opening academic convocation ceremony. The event featured remarks from 国产探花 President Dr. Debbie Cottrell, Seguin Council Member Jim Lievens, and 国产探花 Student Government Association President Justin Friedman.

The audience also heard from Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Steven Vrooman, Chair of the 国产探花 Board of Regents Mike Washington 鈥�77, and the Rev. Dr. Wes Cain, campus pastor and director of Community Engagement and Mission.

This year, 国产探花 welcomes more than 350 new students, including freshmen and transfers. In addition, there is a whole new crop of graduate students, both online and in-person, as well as nursing students who will attend classes on the university鈥檚 New Braunfels and Houston campuses.

It鈥檚 hard to believe鈥攃onsidering where 国产探花 alum Erika Gonzales 鈥�22 is now鈥攖hat she actually never intended to become a nurse.

Where she is now: working in the ER at University Health in San Antonio, about to enter a highly elite training program for forensic nurses. Where she was back in college: studying biology and English, growing an appreciation for communication and the power of stories.

鈥淚 had no intention of becoming a nurse,鈥� she admits. 鈥淢uch less working in critical care or emergency medicine. I always imagined myself behind the scenes, doing research and trying to understand the why behind the human experience. I thought my purpose was to understand people. I eventually realized my purpose was to walk alongside them.鈥�

Once she earned her degree in biology and English at Our Lady of the Lake University, she went on to study applied medical anthropology at the University of North Texas, which she says helped her gain a better understanding of culture, health inequities, and human experience. All of that, believe it or not, paved Gonzales鈥檚 path to nursing. 鈥淟ooking back, I realized those disciplines weren’t separate at all,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey were all preparing me for the kind of nurse I wanted to become. Nursing became the place where all those passions intersected.鈥�

That intersection brought her to 国产探花, where she pursued her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at 国产探花鈥檚 New Braunfels campus. But what truly brought her to the field of nursing was life itself. 鈥淭he biggest turning point wasn’t in a classroom . . . it was in my own life.鈥�

Turning Point

Gonzales watched her mother navigate a heart condition, and later, was with her uncle during his final moments after a battle with cancer. 鈥淭hose experiences changed the way I viewed health care. I realized that two people could have the same diagnosis but experience care very differently because of their life experiences, culture, support systems, and access to resources,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 realized my family’s experiences weren’t unique; they reflected the realities faced by many individuals from minority and underserved communities.鈥�

That marked the turning point. That was when Gonzales realized she wanted to do more than study the disparities that exist in our culture. She wanted to help change them.

鈥淧eople sometimes describe my path as winding, but I see it as cumulative,鈥� she says. 鈥淓very degree gave me another lens through which to understand people.鈥� Nursing, she explains, offers the privilege of walking beside people with compassion during life鈥檚 most difficult moments. 鈥淚 don’t see my education as a series of detours. I see it as the foundation that continues to shape the nurse I am today.鈥�

That nurse works in trauma care, in emergency rooms, facing what most of us would consider some of the hardest moments in human existence. And as she moves into forensic nursing, she鈥檒l take a step further, helping victims of abuse, neglect, violence, and assault, partnering with the legal system, and offering the truest kind of advocacy: She will not only care for victims; she will also stand up for them through her work.

鈥淲hat motivates me isn’t the complexity of the work; it’s the opportunity to preserve dignity, empower patients, and ensure they feel seen, respected, and heard during some of the most difficult moments,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hile people often describe this work as requiring courage, I’ve come to see it as an opportunity to meet people with compassion during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.鈥�

Gonzales鈥檚 passion for advocacy has guided much of her career. For example, she helped establish her hospital’s Bereavement Committee, developing the Legacy Box initiative for grieving families of adult patients. She organized a hospital-wide Bereavement Conference, and now teaches trauma-informed care to postgraduate residents and critical care nurse fellows. 鈥淭hose experiences have reinforced my belief that healing extends beyond treating physical injuries. It also means honoring a person’s story. For me, forensic nursing isn’t a departure from my career; it’s the natural continuation of it.鈥�

Influences in Nursing School

And her years at 国产探花 helped her get here. She notes the genuine caring of the faculty, and specifically recalls three professors who changed the course of her career and left a lasting impression. The first: Dr. Sabrina Koog. 鈥淒uring my junior year, when I was struggling in one of my nursing courses, Dr. Koog met me at a local taqueria to study because she knew it was an environment where I felt comfortable and could focus,鈥� Gonzales recalls. 鈥淚t wasn’t just about reviewing content; it was about meeting me where I was and reminding me that I wasn’t alone.鈥�

Then there was Dr. Elizabeth Garcia. 鈥淟ater, after I failed one of Dr. Garcia’s courses, I seriously questioned whether I belonged in nursing,鈥� says Gonzales. 鈥淚nstead of letting that be the end of my story, she invited me to meet with her privately. She saw potential in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself. That conversation changed the way I saw myself. It reminded me that one setback doesn’t define who you are or what you’re capable of becoming.鈥�

And finally, there was Dr. Wendi Gines. 鈥淒r. Gines challenged me in a different way,鈥� says Gonzales. 鈥淪he encouraged me to become comfortable with being uncomfortable; to embrace uncertainty, trust the process, and move forward even when I didn’t feel completely ready. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career, from trauma critical care to the emergency department, and now as I pursue forensic nursing.鈥�

Gonzales says that those three, 鈥渁long with so many others at 国产探花, didn’t just teach me how to become a nurse; they modeled what it means to walk alongside someone through moments of uncertainty. Their example continues to shape how I care for patients, mentor colleagues, and invest in the next generation of health care professionals. I hope that, in some small way, I can offer others the same compassion, encouragement, and belief that they so generously offered me.鈥�

A Healing Presence

That鈥檚 exactly what Gonzales does on a daily basis for her patients. 鈥淔or me, the most gratifying part of nursing isn’t any single procedure, diagnosis, or clinical success,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t’s the privilege to be present for some of the most significant moments in another person’s life. Whether it’s celebrating a patient’s recovery, helping someone navigate an unexpected diagnosis, or supporting a family through the loss of a loved one, I’ve learned that the moments people remember most are often the human ones. They may not remember every intervention we performed, but they remember how we made them feel.鈥�

Gonzales says that healing doesn鈥檛 always look like one would expect. 鈥淪ometimes healing means helping someone feel safe. Sometimes it means giving a family the space to say goodbye. Sometimes it simply means making sure a person feels less alone.

鈥淥ne phrase that has stayed with me throughout my career is: Science tells us how to care for people; compassion reminds us why. That balance is what I strive for every day. Every patient has a story, and while I may only be part of one chapter, I hope it’s one in which they felt seen, respected, and genuinely cared for.鈥�

One way she demonstrates compassion for her patients is through curiosity. 鈥淓arly in my career, I thought becoming a better nurse meant learning more procedures, memorizing more medications, and having the right clinical answers,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hile those things are essential, I’ve learned that some of the best nursing happens when we slow down long enough to become curious about the person in front of us. I’ve learned that asking, 鈥榃hat happened to this person?鈥� can be just as important as asking, 鈥榃hat’s wrong?鈥� That lesson continues to shape the way I care for every patient I meet. It reinforces my belief that science tells us how to care for people, but curiosity and compassion remind us why.鈥�

O鈥橞rochta is the Hugo and Georgia Gibson Endowed Assistant Professor and chair of political science at 国产探花. He is also director of Professional Development for the American Political Science Association Civic Engagement Section.

He volunteers on a weekly basis as a bicycle mechanic and is on the board of Community Cycles Seguin, and seeks to find ways of building connections between the local community and the university. O鈥橞rochta continually demonstrates dedication to helping his students become engaged citizens and community problem-solvers, merging lessons taught in the classroom with meaningful real-world impact.

鈥淭his recognition is a testament to the effort, engagement, and partnership with so many students who collaborate with me to apply political science theories and methods to address urgent and practical challenges both on our campus and in our community鈥� said O鈥橞rochta. 鈥淚 am grateful for the opportunity to accompany them in this part of their vocation, and I appreciate Dr. Steve Boehm, Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Germaine Walsh, Professor of Political Science, who have helped to make this work possible.鈥�

The local excitement will continue on September 16, when the six Rising Stars will be recognized at the Seguin Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet, and two will be named Top Rising Stars based on their professional leadership and community impact scores.

国产探花 sends warmest congratulations to Dr. O鈥橞rochta, who is always a star in our book!