Mariela Gallegos

Mariela Gallegos has completed the basic nursing assistant (BNA) certificate at Malcolm X College, she’s a certified nursing assistant (CNA), and she already has a number of college courses and credits under her belt. On top of all that, she also just graduated high school.

Mariela was able to find early success through the Early College program at City Colleges of Chicago, which allows eligible high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit for free. When Mariela got an email from her school counselor that she and other students at George Washington High School would have the opportunity to take a biology class for college credit, she got excited. She decided to enroll, and a few weeks into the course, she started gaining confidence in her ability to succeed. Mariela ended up earning an “A.”

“It felt really good because I didn’t take IB or AP classes,” she said. “I had to stay really focused.”

Then Mariela learned she could join the BNA program, earn more college credit, become a CNA, and possibly work at a hospital. She signed up immediately.

Mariela completed the BNA program and passed her exam to become a CNA on her first try, making her eligible to work at Trinity Advocate Hospital. Mariela was hired the same day she interviewed and will begin her work later this month.

“I’m totally looking forward to it,” she said. “I’m excited to learn new things and work.”

Mariela graduated high school with 20 college credits from the BNA program, the biology course, and a Spanish course. She plans to take another class at Malcolm X this summer, and she’ll be attending the college as a full-time student in the fall. She knows Malcolm X will set her up for success and help her achieve her dream of being a NICU nurse, a career path she decided on after observing the NICU nurses with her brother.

“I know Malcolm X is known for their Nursing program, which is what made me sign up,” Mariela said. “I have visited the school multiple times already, and I feel like I belong there.”

None of this would’ve been possible without the support of Mariela’s parents. As a first-generation student, she’s making them extremely proud.

“Once I told them about Early College and wanting to be a nurse, they were both very happy with me. They drove me to where I needed to be. They were very encouraging in this pathway,” Mariela said.