At the Chez Veterans Center, we strive to highlight the diverse stories of the incredible students within the military-connected community. Today, we will be featuring Mayra Ortega, a first-generation student from Chicago, Illinois who is currently pursuing a degree in Nursing. At 17 years old, Mayra enlisted in the Army National Guard to create new opportunities for herself and her future. Because of this, she has been on a transformative path combining service and medicine to help others.
I asked her to share her background in the military, and what led her to pursue higher education. She said:
“I enlisted so I could eventually afford college, not really knowing what degree I wanted to pursue. I always loved English and History, so I was thinking of eventually becoming a teacher. But my recruiter assigned me to be a medic, and when I came back from AIT at Fort Sam I knew I wanted to pursue medicine in some way. I wanted to double major in history and something else to stay in the medical field, but it wasn’t feasible because they were too different. I ended up taking a break and leaving UIUC to take classes to get nursing pre reqs, then I applied to the UIUC Nursing program and I love it.”
After this, I followed up with a question about transitioning from military life to student life, and she responded:
“Social integration was the hardest for me because military connected students have so much experience it kind of puts you in a different headspace whether you want it or not. I also am older than a lot of my peers, so it was a little isolating. I’m a POC woman too, and because of that I feel a little distanced in my nursing major because there aren’t many other POC students. But I’ve been able to find friends in different spaces and the transition since then has been really smooth.”
I then asked her, what are your support systems at school?
“The Chez for sure because it introduced me to other people in the non-traditional college student circle. There’s a diversity of backgrounds here that are universally understood within the community, whether its life experiences or how the military has played into life in general. I also feel more connected to the Chez because I live here and work here as a work study. I was granted the Hess and Filler Scholarship to help me out with housing, which has been so helpful for me because it has allowed me to focus more on school and ROTC.”
When asked about her future goals, Mayra responded:
“I want to commission as an Army nurse post-graduation, and ROTC has helped to make that happen. Being in ROTC has kind of allowed me to put Army National Guard stuff on the backburner for now so I can focus on getting degree and in turn provide service. It’s still been difficult, but my ROTC professors have been so great at helping me find a balance between nursing school and the military.”
At the end of the interview, I asked Mayra if she wanted to share a memorable moment here at UIUC, and she said:
“On first day of nursing orientation, they introduced us to simulation lab where they were going to teach us how to intubate a mannequin. I remember everyone was so anxious about it, but I was really happy because I was familiar with it and felt like I was right where she needed to be. The military gave me so much training, and in turn it made me so knowledgeable and confident in my skills and abilities. I also found my future nursing school friends that day, and they make going to class so much more fun.”
All in all, we’re proud to have students like Mayra in our community, who are not only advancing their education but also giving back through their commitment to serve others. As she prepares to commission as an Army nurse, we’re excited to see all that she will accomplish. Mayra’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, community, and the desire to make a difference.
Article written by: Baileigh Hannah