Gissell Fabela's journey to higher education didn鈥檛 begin in a classroom鈥攊t began
with a decision.
After leaving high school in the ninth grade, Gissell spent years focusing on her
family and working through the everyday challenges of life. But at the age of 25,
she made a life-changing choice: she enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL)
classes to improve her communication skills. 鈥淚 wanted to feel more confident speaking
English,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was the first step.鈥�
That first step quickly led to more. As her English improved, so did her confidence.
Inspired and eager to build a future for herself and her family, she enrolled in phlebotomy
classes in November 2023, set to begin in January 2024. Then, just weeks later, life
threw her another curve鈥攕he found out she was pregnant with her second child.
It might have been easy to postpone her plans, but not for Gissell. She pressed on,
attending classes while expecting. In May 2024, she proudly earned her phlebotomy
certificate. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy,鈥� she admitted, 鈥渂ut I knew I wanted to keep moving forward.鈥�
In August, she welcomed her second daughter, Soleih, into the world. Like her first
daughter, Novaluna鈥攚ho was born with a cleft palate鈥攂aby Soleih faced medical complications
that required a stay in the NICU. During the times that her daughters were in the
hospitals, Gissell spent many hours observing the dedication and compassion of the
nurses caring for her children.
鈥淚 saw how much of a difference it made when a nurse truly cared,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淪ome
of them went above and beyond. I want to be that kind of nurse鈥攖o help people feel
seen, cared for, and safe.鈥�
That experience sparked a deeper calling. Gissell set her sights on becoming a registered
nurse. But to start that path, she needed to earn her GED. Undeterred, she enrolled
in GED classes in January 2025, balancing her studies with life at home鈥攏ow with two
young children. She completed her GED in just one month.
鈥淚t helped that I could take my GED classes online. I could stay home with my girls,鈥�
she said. 鈥淢y husband was amazing. He鈥檇 take care of them when he got home from work
so I could study. And I had support from people like Dr. Almudena Romero, my Learning
Frameworks instructor. She believed in me and reminded me to keep chasing my dream.鈥�
Now, with her GED in hand, Gissell is preparing for the next hurdle: the Texas Success
Initiative Assessment. Once she passes, she plans to come back to 麻豆传媒视频 as
a Nursing student, hoping to attend the RN program.
Her journey is a testament to resilience and grit. Gissell Fabela is not just the
first in her family to go to college鈥攕he鈥檚 blazing a trail for her daughters, proving
that no dream is out of reach with courage, commitment, and heart.
鈥淚 want my girls to see that they can do anything,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o matter how hard
life gets, you just keep going.鈥�