Student Profile: Barbara Canales Diaz

Dear Montgomery College,

I grew up in White Oak (Silver Spring). I received my high school diploma from James H. Blake High School. When I was a first-year student in high school, I did not know which college I wanted to attend, but I did know that I wanted to have a medical career. As a first-generation student with immigrant parents, graduating with a bachelor’s degree has always been a goal in our family, but we knew that it was a financial challenge.

I am currently in my last semester at Montgomery College, and through the help of faculty, my professors, peers, and coworkers, I now know that I want to pursue a nursing degree to become a nurse anesthetist. I plan to transfer to either the University of Maryland at USG or Towson University to study nursing. I am more than honored and grateful to be a recipient of this scholarship, since I serve the Chevy Chase community by working as a patient care technician at the Chevy Chase Endoscopy Center.

I help nurses who work with patients in recovery after a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy procedure. My next goal is to work in the procedure room as a GI technician or in the hospital as an emergency room technician.

My best memories at MC are the STEM Conference at Anne Arundel Community College and joining the Rockville Campus Student Government Association. I reached out of my comfort zone to better myself as a student. As the secretary for the SGA, I advocated for affordable tuition for Montgomery College students and for the renovation of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Science Center.

I will forever recommend MC as a stepping stone in a person’s education because I have felt nothing but support from everyone in my educational journey. Thank you so much for your generosity, I will not let you down.

Sincerely,

Barbara Canales Diaz