Maritza Gaona Lopez’s Mentors Became Her Extended Family
Press Release
Date: October 30, 2024
Contact: lgarrett@tctc.edu
By Lisa Garrett
Maritza Gaona Lopez’s Mentors Became Her Extended Family
PENDLETON --- There are framed photographs of three influential individuals, Don and Sue Baldwin and Jean Robinson, all residents of Central, that Maritza Gaona Lopez displays in her living room at home They are placed alongside photos of her parents, of her husband, Alex Onate, and their four-year old daughter, Camila.
“I consider Mr. Don, Mrs. Sue and Ms. Jean my family. They have influenced me in so many ways and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” said Gaona Lopez, resident care manager for assisted living at Clemson Downs.
She met them when she was a young girl after her family moved to the United States. She was seven years old and didn’t speak a word of English.
The previous year she had completed the first grade in Mexico but was placed back in the first grade to allow her to learn the English language through immersion. “Fortunately, I picked up the language and material very quickly,” she said. Her parents didn’t speak any English and she became their translator.
To improve her language skills and academic aptitude, Gaona Lopez and her brother, ESL students, joined a small weekly tutoring session held for Hispanic children every Tuesday after school. This partnership between Central First Baptist Church and a missionary offered this afterschool program for around 60 Hispanic children. Beginning in elementary school, she and her brother and their friends, Annayeli and Fernando, and others were bused from Central Elementary to the church where they would be tutored in various subjects by the Baldwins and Ms. Robinson, all retired engineers.
When the sessions at the church were discontinued two years later, the Baldwins and Ms. Robinson opened their home to continue these weekly tutoring classes throughout high school to prepare Gaona Lopez and others for college.
“They came to our home and we were deeply involved with the children and their education. Their parents were interested and wanted the best for their children. Education was a priority. We don’t have grandchildren, so Maritza became our granddaughter,” said Mrs. Baldwin.
By the time she was a senior at Daniel High School, she was the corp commander for ROTC and an honor graduate headed to college. She was the first in her family to achieve that distinction. “Mr. Don, Mrs. Sue and Ms. Jean helped me to get to college,” she said.
“When these kids graduated from high school and then from college, it was a huge accomplishment. They did it for themselves,” said Mrs. Baldwin.
Gaona Lopez attained DACA status, which allowed her to attend college and access critical benefits like financial aid. “My goal was always to go to college and be a nurse. DACA opened the door to go to college.”
She earned a scholarship to Southern Wesleyan University but because she wasn’t a U.S. citizen at that time (2013), she didn’t meet the guidelines and was disqualified. “I had a full ride but was ineligible for the scholarship. I could still go to college, but I had to pay out-of-state tuition which wasn’t possible,” she said.
That led her to TCTC where she enrolled at age 18 to pursue university transfer courses.
The Baldwins and Ms. Robinson, who had become her second family, saw that she was struggling to excel academically while maintaining two jobs and a full academic schedule. “They suggested if I would reduce my work hours and focus on school, they would pay the full tuition and books at TCTC. It was a life changer. I worked less hours and my grades rose,” she said.
“I continued to work and study hard. I was so appreciative. I couldn’t let them down. They have supported me through all my important life events -- my high school graduation, TCTC nursing pinning ceremony and graduations, my wedding and my baby shower. For every big event in my life, they are always there. They are my extended family.”
While at TCTC, she earned a Certified Nursing Assistant credential and she earned both Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. She transitioned to the Associate Degree Nursing program. She has been employed at Clemson Downs since 2015, beginning as a Certified Nurse Aide and later promoted to Medical Tech. After graduating from the Associate Degree Nursing program in May 2019, she was promoted to RN. In 2020 she attained U.S. citizenship.
“I love it here because I love the residents. To be here for them is so gratifying,” she said. In April she was promoted again to resident care manager for assisted living. “I’m energized by our residents, some of whom are 97 and thriving.”
She returned to TCTC in the summer of 2022 to take more university transfer classes and again last fall with the families continuing to support her academic journey.
She currently is enrolled in the BSN program at Clemson University and plans to graduate in December 2024.
She applied for a HRSA Go Mobile Scholarship for RN-BSN students at Clemson but initially wasn’t eligible because she wasn’t a Prisma Health employee. Later she received an email that they had extended the opportunity to individuals not working at Prisma Health. She was accepted. “Mrs. Sue was the first person I called to tell about the scholarship because she has been with me all the way. I wouldn’t be where I am without the Baldwins and Jean. My parents are equally as appreciative of them. They helped my brother and me beginning in elementary school. I think life would have been much harder and my success would have been slowed down if I hadn’t been fortunate enough to meet them and have them in my life,” she said.
“It feels good to be successful. I’ve worked hard and I am proud of myself. I am pursuing a BSN for me and for my daughter. I want her to know there are options. I never dreamed I would have a leadership role in health care. Every day I try to make a difference.”
Ms. Robinson said they will be at her Clemson graduation in December, cheering her on. “We are so proud. This relationship is for life.”
About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, business administration, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
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