Single-mom, Blanca Garcia, Affirms Academic Ambitions are Worth Pursuing

If there's one thing that Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) alumna, Blanca Garcia, knows, it's that dreams are worth holding on to.

"After 23 years, I managed to get my associate's degree," Garcia shared with emotion. "I graduated this past May."

Garcia moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Puerto Rico in the sixth grade, becoming fluent in Spanish. After she moved, she continued studying English in school. In 1999, she pursued higher education as an English major at the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, located in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

"I was going to be an English teacher," Garcia explained. "But when I had my daughter, I tried to pursue my studies online, and I wasn't a successful student. That's when I stopped everything."

Like many single parents, her aspirations took the backseat to provide a better life for her two children.

"It was very emotional for me," Garcia admitted. "... As a single mom, I dedicated myself to them."

That dedication included working various jobs and supporting her children while they grew up. Her most recent job involved international customer service, handling logistics for a pharmaceutical company.

"I had to communicate with [people in] Dubai, Colombia, and all these different places in regard to their orders," she recalled.

But after working there for seven years, Garcia received news that she was let go.

"Once I got laid off, I started looking for a job, and I couldn't find one," she said. "They were asking either for an associate [degree] or paperwork [certifications]."

With limited options, Garcia took inspiration from her children. She watched them enter college, gain internships, and become professionals in their careers. By seeing them succeed, she decided it was time to finish what she had started many years ago.

"It was a challenge, just because the way I was raised in school was totally different," Garcia explained. "I was more of a book person when I was raised in school, and now it involves more technology."

She added, "I like to ask for help when I need help, and I was a little intimidated being with kids way younger than me, but at the end of the day, I became an inspiration for them."

Her journey involved obstacles such as language barriers, being a first-generation student, and having been raised in an environment where academic pursuits were not supported. Because of this, she would often be transparent to classmates, sharing her background with them to act as a role model.

"I would tell them, don't take it [education] for granted," she said. "Your time is now. It might be difficult sometimes but never take it for granted."

She shared how being a non-traditional student also reframed her thoughts about education: "I've learned that anything can be self-taught, as long as you have the mindset to learn and to be a good disciple."

During her time at RCSJ, Garcia received support from RCSJ's Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, which provides students with resources such as grant opportunities, tutoring, career advising, and educational workshops.

Garcia described some of the support she received: "I went to my EOF advisor, and she guided me through the process to receive [testing] accommodations."

She also applied for EOF’s "Project: Unlock the Cities" and was selected to join, which allowed her to make lasting connections with other members.

"It was an amazing program that I had the privilege to be in," she recalled. "... We went to Philadelphia, New York, twice, and Washington, D.C."

The EOF program even made a documentary with the 15 selected participants as they toured the various cities. This gave Garcia the opportunity to cultivate her leadership skills, achieve personal growth, and expand her horizons.

"I'm afraid to take risks," Garcia admitted. "But I'm starting to let go of that. So, if I take a risk and the result doesn't happen, at least I tried."

Some of Garcia's favorite RCSJ classes even helped take her out of her comfort zone.

"Accounting [was a favorite]; it pushed me, even though it was frustrating," she shared. "... I also like [oral] communications ... I had the privilege to speak in front of women, talk about my past, and be an example. Those classes taught me the most: [oral] communications and accounting. [They kept] pushing me through."

But out of all of Garcia's RCSJ memories, walking the stage at graduation was the most impactful.

"It hit really hard," she said. "I was like, 'I'm not going to cry,' ... but I couldn't handle it anymore when the professors received us in the hallway ... There were a lot of emotions because I thought I couldn't do it. But when I got through it, I was like, 'Wow, I'm finally wearing my gown.' It felt good."

Now having graduated with her associate degree in Business Administration, Garcia plans to continue her journey at Rowan University, with RCSJ's 3+1 Global Business & Leadership program.

"Watching my son graduate from Rowan University, and now watching my daughter, they've motivated me to pursue my bachelor's," Garcia explained. "I was just saying to myself that 'I'm good with an associate's,' but watching them, I decided, 'I want to have the privilege; there's no excuse.'"

As Garcia looks forward, she offered words of wisdom for other non-traditional students considering returning to school: "Don't let the challenges of life dictate who you are as a person, because you have a purpose."

For more information about RCSJ's Business Studies Division, visit RCSJ.edu/BusinessStudies.