In a notable stride for Northwest Early College High School (NWECHS), senior Joselyn Ontiveros has made history as the first student from the institution to gain acceptance into the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), according to Canutillo ISD.
The academic journey for Ontiveros was no stroll, it demanded the completion of 55 college credit hours through El Paso Community College, obtaining an associate degree before finishing high school, retaining a minimum college GPA of 3.0, and securing scores of at least 80 on the Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) exam and a minimum of 22 on the ACT, all while she fought through the barrage of challenges that come with a dual credit curriculum, she will now be on track to earn her nursing degree by the age of 20.
"This opportunity means everything to me," Ontiveros said, as per Canutillo ISD, reflecting on her hard-earned achievement and expressing gratitude for what lies ahead in her education and future career.
Owing a debt of inspiration to her older sister, an operating room nurse, Ontiveros told the Canutillo ISD that her sister's caregiving prowess and authoritative presence in surgical settings sparked the younger Ontiveros's ambition to likewise enter the healthcare arena, indeed she hopes to work at University Medical Center one day as a perioperative nurse, this recognition serves not only as a testament to Ontiveros' dedication but also as an emblem of the potential available through the initiatives at NWECHS.
