Texas Border Business
For Maria Orozco, 26, the journey to commencement is about more than earning a degree, it’s about finding her voice again, healing from past struggles and showing her three daughters that no matter how hard life gets, it’s never too late to rewrite your story.
Orozco graduated from South Texas College with an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education, a milestone that represents far more than a diploma. It represents resilience, sacrifice and a promise she made to herself and her children to never give up.
Orozco balanced full-time motherhood-raising three daughters, ages 3, 4 and 6, who attended the Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center while she completed her coursework. With support from the CCAMPIS grant (Child Care Access Means Parents in School), which helped cover child care costs, Orozco was able to stay enrolled and focus on completing her degree.
Orozco became a mother at 19 and began college shortly after graduating high school, but financial hardship, housing instability and transportation challenges forced her to pause her education. After moving out of state, she faced depression and isolation, experiences that ultimately led her to return home and rebuild her life.
“As soon as I got home, I went back to school,” she said. “I felt like I needed to do something for myself. I wanted to be able to say I did that all by myself and that all the challenges I faced were worth it.”
Returning to the classroom brought new fears, especially the fear of failure and the quiet weight of self-doubt that followed her into every lecture and assignment. After years away from school and the memory of past struggles, she often questioned whether she was capable, but she chose to show up anyway, one day at a time.
“My biggest fear was giving up again,” she said. “People once told me I couldn’t do this and I was scared they would be right.”
While working long hours and caring for her daughters, Orozco studied whenever she could, during lunch breaks, between classes and late into the night. The emotional weight of her balancing everything often felt overwhelming.
“There were moments I wanted to break down,” she said. “But I kept thinking about my daughters and the future I wanted to give them.”
Now, as commencement approaches, the reality of what she has accomplished is sinking in.
“Honestly, it’s such a big accomplishment for me,” she said. “It makes me feel so proud, after all I have gone through. It feels really good knowing my daughters will see me walk and see that all the homework, school and work was for us, for aa better way of living.”
Orozco credits her family, her partner and the staff at the Child Development Center for helping her reach this moment. The center’s staff provided constant encouragement, celebrated her milestones and made her feel seen, not just as a student, but also a mother.
“They were always so supportive and took the time to check in and make sure I was doing okay,” she said. “They didn’t just support my children, they supported me. They always had words of encouragement, always believed in me and always made me feel like I truly belonged.”
As she prepares for the next chapter, Orozco hopes her story becomes a source of strength for other young mothers who feel discouraged.
“I had people close to me tell me I couldn’t care for children because I was young,” she said. “It took me a while to come back and finish what I started, but I kept telling myself those words would not beat me. It won’t be easy, but you can do it. They said I couldn’t and I did. You can too.”
After commencement, Orozco plans to work in daycare and after school programs and hopes to return to school within a year to earn her bachelor’s degree.
With her daughters cheering in the audience, Orozco will walk across the stage carrying every late night, every sacrifice and every doubt she overcame. Her story, once filled with uncertainty, now stands as proof that it is never too late to rise.
For more information on STC’s Child Development and Early Childhood program, visit: southtexascollege.edu/academics/child-development/.
