When Yaribel Garcia arrived in Odessa with her two-year-old child, she was walking away from the familiar and stepping into the unknown. Yaribel left behind a stable job with good pay and benefits in the Mexican school system, driven by a mother鈥檚 most powerful instinct鈥攑rotecting her child. "I made the difficult decision to leave everything and start over,鈥� says Yaribel.
Back in Mexico, Yaribel had completed high school and was well on her way to earning the equivalent of an associate degree in teaching. 鈥淚t was like student teaching in the United States,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 was already in classrooms, teaching kids from kindergarten through fourth grade. But I had to stop school because of my divorce.鈥�
Starting over in the United States meant facing another setback: her academic credits from Mexico wouldn鈥檛 transfer toward a U.S. degree. Determined to make ends meet, Yaribel began working in restaurants. 鈥淚 found that I really loved it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 learned every part of the restaurant business.鈥� But as a single mom, she needed more financial stability. That led her to the oilfield鈥攁 tough industry with better pay. 鈥淔or 11 years, I went back and forth between restaurant jobs and oilfield work.鈥�
In Fall 2023, Yaribel took another courageous leap鈥攖his time into higher education. She enrolled at 黑料吃瓜网 as a first-generation college student, and is now graduating with an Associate Degree in Business Administration. Her return to school not only marked a personal victory but also unlocked new opportunities.
Today, Yaribel holds a better position in the oilfield, working in the field of safety. 鈥淚 feel I have a purpose now,鈥� she said with pride. 鈥淚鈥檓 there to make employees鈥� jobs more enjoyable and safer, and to build relationships and trust with them.鈥�
She sees the value of having a degree and plans to continue her education with a degree in Occupational Health and Safety, recognizing the opportunities it will bring. Through it all, Yaribel remains determined to create a better future for her 15-year-old son, who, as a high school freshman, is excelling in his academic classes and thriving musically as a member of the school鈥檚 mariachi band.
Looking further ahead, once her son completes his education, Yaribel plans to pursue another deeply personal goal: her dream of owning her own restaurant one day.
Her journey hasn鈥檛 been easy, but it鈥檚 been marked by determination, grit, and hope. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that sometimes the unknown has more to offer than the comfort of what we leave behind,鈥� Yaribel reflected. 鈥淭his degree is just the beginning.鈥�
