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[ 00min 15sec ]
Prof. Katherine Jewell:
Could you please introduce yourself?
Jessica Garcia:
Of course. My name is Jessica Marie Garcia. I’m originally from Puerto Rico.
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But I came to the United States when I was 17, back in 1999. I got married in 2006. And I'm married to a minister. So I'm a minister's wife – and I love working with my community.
I work also with Special Needs children at Keystone Educational Collaborative in Fitchburg. I've been working with them for 17 years now, and I love what I do. I wouldn't change anything for the world. And I just want to grow more in my field – both fields, ministry and school. I have a great support system. I have a great support group. It's my my God. First of all. My husband, my church community, my best friends, my mother, my family. They support me 100% in what I do – even when it looks crazy.
[ 01min 10sec ]
Prof. Katherine Jewell:
So could you tell us a little bit about your career at Fitchburg State?
Jessica Garcia:
Yes, that's an interesting one, because I first enrolled in Fitchburg State University back in 2012. But I was not able to do anything or move forward. I took maybe three classes and then I stopped. I guess it was time management. It wasn't the right timing. It wasn't the right moment for me – and maybe other personal reasons.
So I had to pause it for a minute and think about what I wanted and why I want to be when I grow up. Mind you, I'm going to be 42. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but! – this past year I prayed about it. I thought about it, talked to my husband about it and “hey, why not? Let's give it another shot.” Let's go back and finish what I started. Right? So I did that.
I made the call to the registrar's office. They directed me to Dr. Jessica Robey, who has helped me so much. She helped me figure out who I want to be when I grow up. And she was like, Why don't you just enroll into the Interdisciplinary Studies for your undergrad program and do, like, a minor in psychology? Everything could be done online and it will be so helpful to you who is completely busy and kind of crazy with the ministry and full time job and wife and all that craziness.
And so we did that and I love every minute of it. And the fact that it can help me in my work field, but also in my ministry field, working alongside my husband in psychology. That's, like, amazing.
And I cannot thank her enough for that.
[ 02min 51sec ]
Prof. Katherine Jewell:
So what has your greatest accomplishment been so far here?
Jessica Garcia:
The fact that I can actually do everything online. So far, all my classes, all my courses have been online. All the professors are being amazing and understanding that we all have busy lives and that this is what we're doing. But at the same time, it's like, find your purpose, find it and follow it. Keep going!
It's amazing to see that now, being an adult, it's like, I'm not playing games. I'm here to take my classes, I'm here to do my reading. I'm here to work hard and play hard. And all professors are, like, in with you. They're like, “Yes, we understand. Do what you got to do to get it done, but get it done.”
And I appreciate that. That's like the greatest accomplishment – is being able to keep going step by step. Although it looks like a long road, I'm doing it little by little and I'm beyond happy with that.
[ 03min 46sec ]
Prof. Katherine Jewell:
So in what ways have you grown or transformed during your time at Fitchburg State?
Jessica Garcia:
I can tell you that [ laughs ] my number one growth has been my language. Being born and raised in Puerto Rico, it's definitely my brain is developed and it's embedded all in Spanish. I think in Spanish. I, you know, most of everything is in Spanish. I speak Spanish in the church, to my community, to my mother.
So learning the English when I first came here and being able to develop it to such an extent, to such a great extent – it's amazing.
It blows my mind that I'm able to communicate – reading, writing and speaking the language – it's so important. It's amazing. And another growth part, it's the time. The fact that I can, I can actually do this now, even though I'm going to be 42. I can still say, “Hey, listen, I want to accomplish this and I want to do it.”
[ 04min 44sec ]
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With the help of my husband, my mother, God. It's, it's just such a good feeling. It's such a great feeling.
Prof. Katherine Jewell:
I love that. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
Jessica Garcia:
Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
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[ 05min 02sec ]
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Professor Megan Krell:
This is Professor Megan Krell in Behavioral Sciences. You're listening to Perseverantia, the Fitchburg State Podcast Network.
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