A mother’s love knows no barriers.
Just ask Maricella Sanchez, a devoted wife and a loving mother of three adult sons.
Sanchez is battling cancer, but when her youngest son, Rogelio, announced his intention to quit college, she put her problem aside to help her son.
Sanchez’s intervention in her son’s life began, ironically, thanks to her battle with cancer.
Sanchez has formed a friendship with Elizabeth Kurczyn Valle, founder of the “Pink To Do” Breast Cancer Awareness Association and an instructor of allied health at Laredo Community College.
Three weeks ago, Valle went to visit Sanchez at her home, when the mother mentioned her son’s plight to the college instructor.
“When Mrs. Sanchez asked if I could speak to her youngest son to encourage him to stay in school, I was unaware that her son was a student at LCC,” Valle said. “The poor mother was so worried about her son’s future despite the burden she must have as she deals with cancer on a daily basis.”
Valle encouraged Sanchez to have her son contact her at the college.
After speaking by telephone with Rogelio, Valle discovered that he was leaving school for financial reasons.
Rogelio did not qualify for financial aid, and he did not want to trouble his family, already dealing with mounting medical expenses.
Valle learned from Rogelio’s instructors that he had only one course to finish in the spring semester to complete his certificate in automotive technology. She also learned that he had a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
“Here is a talented student who is so close to completing his educational goal,” Valle said of Rogelio. “Something had to be done to keep him in school.”
Fortunately, Rogelio’s dilemma was resolved, courtesy of the Laredo Firefighters Association. The local group recently presented a scholarship to Rogelio that will allow him to complete his certificate and graduate in May of 2006.
Rogelio was pleased to receive the scholarship.
“I’m always fixing cars at my house. With the certificate from LCC, I hope to find employment at the service shop of a local car dealership,” Rogelio said.
Rogelio received news about the scholarship from Rudy Ochoa, president of the firefighters association, at the Firefighters Union Hall. Among those present for the joyous occasion were Rogelio’s parents, his brothers, and their families.
Rogelio’s mom was beaming with pride and joy, despite that only a few hours before she underwent her 12th consecutive day of intensive radiation therapy.
Rogelio is already enrolled for the spring term and his tuition is paid. Thanks to his mother’s love, Rogelio is on track to fulfilling his career training.
Registration for the spring 2006 semester at Laredo Community College continues via the college’s On Line Enrollment (OLÉ) system online at http://ole.laredo.edu. The system is accessible from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Check out the spring course schedule online at www.laredo.edu. For more information, call 721-5109 or 794-4110.
Rogelio Sanchez is surrounded by family and scholarship donor at the Laredo Firefighters Union Hall during the announcement of a Laredo Firefighters Association scholarship, which will help him complete his studies at Laredo Community College. They are, from left, Nancy Sanchez, Amando Sanchez, Sgt. Tomas Sanchez Jr., Raul Sanchez, Tomas Sanchez, Maricella Sanchez, Tomas Sanchez III, Rogelio, Rudy Ochoa, Yessenia Sanchez, Carlos Sanchez Jr. and Carlos Sanchez.
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