糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock nursing major and First-generation student Janette Munoz. Photo by Ben Krain.
Janette Mu帽oz, a senior double majoring in nursing and Spanish, is fulfilling a dream for herself and her parents by being the first in her family to attend college.
鈥淢y parents in Mexico couldn鈥檛 receive a proper education. My grandparents couldn鈥檛 afford to send them to school,鈥� Mu帽oz said. 鈥淚 know the reason they came to the U.S. is to give me a better opportunity to be a better person, and if I can do that I will make them so proud.鈥�
After she graduates in the spring 2022 semester, Mu帽oz hopes to help mothers bring their children into the world.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to get a job here in Arkansas, and I want to be an OB/GYN nurse,鈥� Mu帽oz said. 鈥淚 want to get a job working with babies and mothers. I love babies. Growing up, I always cared for my siblings. It鈥檚 like I was their second mother. Bringing a baby into this world is an awesome experience, and I want to help make that happen.鈥�
After graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 2017, Mu帽oz was looking for a college that is close to home and affordable.
鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock is close to home, and I didn鈥檛 want to be far away from my parents. This is the family that I knew and grew up with, and I didn鈥檛 want to leave them behind,鈥� she said. 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has definitely given me the resources to be successful. I remember thinking about how I would afford college before I applied. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock gave me a lot of scholarships to apply for, and the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps (CLC) is what determined me going here. I鈥檓 working with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO, and these are some of the best co-workers I鈥檝e had the experience of working with. The staff is very friendly, and I鈥檓 not afraid to ask for help if I need it.鈥�
Photo of Janette Munoz by Ben Krain.
At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Mu帽oz also volunteers with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Trojan Food Pantry and the Little Rock Marathon. She is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and is in the middle of helping plan LULAC鈥檚 Drive for the Homeless. During the week of Thanksgiving, LULAC members hand out gift baskets with coats, blankets, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, and other hygiene products to the homeless.
Mu帽oz was on track to graduate with a nursing degree in spring, but an unexpected medical emergency in March delayed her plans.
鈥淚 got a sharp sudden pain on my abdomen,鈥� Mu帽oz said. 鈥淚t kept getting worse. I knew it was not normal. I called my mom, and she suggested I drink some soothing tea. I remember not even being able to drink the tea. I went to the emergency room, and they thought it was my appendix. They noticed I had an ovarian cyst wrapped around a fallopian tube. I had to have surgery.鈥�
Mu帽oz was in recovery for weeks and needs to retake a course that is offered once a year. She feels that every challenge can come with a silver lining. She took advantage of her extra time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and is now pursuing a second bachelor鈥檚 degree in Spanish.
鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer that things happen for a reason,鈥� she said.
Inspired by her own experience as a first-generation student, Mu帽oz is helping other Spanish-speaking families navigate the education system. She is an intern and volunteer with the Unidos Se Puede program with Mam谩s Unidas to connect families and volunteers.
鈥淪panish families sometimes can鈥檛 help their kids because of a language and technology barrier that prevents them from communicating with their kids鈥� teachers,鈥� Mu帽oz said. 鈥淚 help set up volunteers for parents when they need translators for a parent-teacher meeting or a tutor for their kids.鈥�
