GoGirl! Grant Recipients

Alejandra Castro

Alejandra Castro

Ohio University Online Program studying for BSN
Anticipated Graduation date: Spring 2025

 Alejandra is the oldest daughter of immigrant parents and a single parent to three amazing children. Her parents came to this country to give she and her siblings a better life and opportunities.

Alejandra has been in the medical field for over ten years as a Monitor Technician and Phlebotomist. There she discovered her passion for helping those who cannot help themselves.

Enrolling in college to pursue her Associate’s degree in Registered Nursing after many years was challenging as she works to support her family. Her children are her motivation to keep going. She wants to be the best she can be and lead by example. She wants her children to know that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and work hard.

Her current goal is to obtain her Nursing degree. She will then continue to study for her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing with the ultimate goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner in Family Medicine in the Coachella Valley.

She wants to focus on helping Spanish speaking patients with chronic conditions, taking the time to properly educate them and advocate for them while encouraging them to actively participate in their health. She would like to continue to do her part in making a difference and consistently do her best for our local community.

Karla Gonzales

Karla Gonzales

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  December 2024

 Karla was born in the Coachella Valley and continues to reside in La Quinta along with her husband and five children. Her husband is a Sergeant in the US Army and recently returned from a one-year deployment to South Korea.

She has been in the medical field since 2008 and has worked in various medical sectors, including pediatrics, orthopedics, family care and urgent care. 

Karla is proud to come from a long line of public servants. Being awarded a GoGirl! Grant will enable Karla to continue her education full time and realize her goal of becoming a nurse. She wants to continue to serve her community and the Coachella Valley, which she loves and cherishes.

Cheyla Higareda

Cheyla Higareda

California Desert Trial Academy/Juris
Anticipated Graduation date: 2026

Cheyla was born in Indio, California. She is the oldest of four sisters. Her parents fled the poverty that surrounded them in Mexico and came to the United States. They both worked various heavy labor jobs throughout the years to give she and her sisters a chance at a better life. Witnessing the sacrifices her parents made daily encouraged Cheyla to make their sacrifices count. Therefore, at the age of fourteen she decided to become an attorney because she realized that unlike them, she was fortunate enough to have citizenship, knowledge of the English language, and two parents who supported her dream of obtaining a higher education.

Cheyla has always been an exemplary student. She graduated high school with honors, continued on to the University of Redlands and was recognized on the Dean’s Honor List and followed that with a master’s degree in Practical Theology with Cum Lade Honors.

Now Cheyla is pursuing her true passion at California Desert Trial Academy where she will be studying for her Juris degree with an anticipated graduation date of 2026.

Her long-term goal is to become an established attorney within the Coachella Valley. She wants to make a positive and genuine difference within her community.

Ariel Lorenzen

Ariel Lorenzen

Grand Canyon University Online Program studying for BSN
Anticipated Graduation Date:  Spring 2025

Ariel was born and raised in California and has thrived on fostering her love of learning.

After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a Bachelor of Science in Global Environmental Science, she realized that she has a passion for helping others that she needed to pursue. Ariel feels there is nothing like witnessing and facilitating a positive change in someone’s health.

Ariel holds the public relations position for the Student Nurses Association and has just accepted a position at COD as the new nursing tutor.  She’ll be tutoring first, second and third semester students.

After receiving her RN degree, her goal is to work in the labor and delivery department while completing her BSN and ultimately to become a certified nurse-midwife. She is striving to become the best nurse and the best version of herself she can be.

Jaemilyn Lucas

Jaemilyn Lucas

CSUSB/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  Spring 2024

 Jaemilyn was born and raised in the Coachella Valley. While attending Cathedral City High School, she discovered her passion for the medical field. 

She joined a health academy and became a junior volunteer at Eisenhower Medical Center to gain exposure in the medical field. Although she didn’t perform direct patient care at that time, she was able to cultivate and refine her customer service skills by delivering flowers to patients or by discharging them with the goal of putting a smile on their face with her positive and uplifting demeanor.

Jaemilyn’s specialty is in Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics.  She find it fulfilling to be in an industry that merges beauty and science. Boosting people’s confidence and self-esteem as a career is a dream of hers.

Her long-term goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner and to open her own aesthetic practice here in the Coachella Valley.

Laura Martin

Laura Martin

College of the Desert/Anthropological Archaeology
Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2024

“Miyiiha Netwaanyan’e Piionr Honuukvetam Nehiinkeeme Shiishongna tongvet Noon’e Tongvet aweeshkone xaa ekwaane xaa Neshuun’e xaa aweeshko Motaamenpo aweeshkone xaa.” This is Laura Martin’s introduction in her native language of Tongva.

She is a single mother of four school-age children. She and her children have been on a journey of escaping domestic violence and are in the process of healing and restoring peace in their lives. As a result, she has returned to school to complete her degree in order to support herself and her children.

She has been chosen by her tribal nation to study anthropological cultural resource monitoring and archaeology.

Laura is on her tribal council, a member of her tribal nation and works on several committees that are involved in cultural resource management, land preservation and cultural preservation. She plans on graduating in Spring 2024 with her associate’s degree in preservation.

Then her goal is to transfer to a four year program at CSUSB where she will complete her bachelor’s degree in Anthropological Archaeology.

The motivation Laura has for completing her education is not only focused on herself and her children, but on her tribal nation and her people.

Completing her degree will not only provide for her family, but will provide a layer of security and support that is needed within her tribal nation and tribal family.

Jasmine Nichols

Jasmine Nichols

CSUSB/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

Playing pretend hospital with her sister was always Jasmine’s favorite childhood game.  Her childhood dream was to become a nurse and that still hasn’t wavered – not once. She was pretty well-versed in the medical field from a young age because of the stories her father shared as the head nurse of a trauma unit in an emergency room.

Recently Jasmine graduated from College of the Desert with an Associates of Science degree with honors and has passed her entrance exam into nursing school at CSUSB.  She is minoring in psychology as she feels this will be helpful in the field of nursing and leaves room for the possibility of attaining a Masters of Science degree in the future.

Jasmine is proud to have overcome impossible odds as a single mother while supporting her daughter. She is fighting to become the woman she can be proud of and it is more important than ever to show her daughter that girls can do hard things. She’s learned that a kind heart is usually what people need, rather than the ‘perfect words.’

Jasmine is looking forward to pursing her career and to give back to the Coachella Valley.

Maria Elena Pantoja

Maria Elena Pantoja

CSUSB/BSN
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

 Maria Elena has raised her son as a single parent while working and going to school. She has Associates Degrees in Biomedical Science, Social Behavioral Science and Math; with honors.

Her first experience in the medical field was in 2001 when she was hired as a receptionist at an Ophthalmology Clinic.  She was quickly promoted and became fascinated by ophthalmology and how it interfaces with many other specialties. Her admiration for health care workers increased as she began to assist as a scrub technician for certain eye procedures.  She knew then, that she wanted to be in the operating room as a nurse, not as a technician.

Although she enjoyed her job and had over twenty years of experience in ophthalmology, she noticed she was being overlooked for promotions due to her lack of education. It wasn’t until her son became a college student that she saw the opportunity to further her education and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.

She is beyond blessed and excited to see her goals and dreams come true.  She knows her life would not be the same without the challenges she’s encountered throughout her life and is thrilled to be a resident of the Coachella Valley, an area she started visiting over twenty-five years ago.

Victoria Perez

Victoria Perez

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2026

Victoria began pursuing her dream career as a nurse right after graduating from high school in 2016. She enrolled at CSUSB to complete the prerequisites for the nursing program.

Financial hurdles and the loss of Victoria’s mom forced her to pause her education. Losing her mom at such a young ago was very hard on her, but it also compelled her to re-enroll in school and finish her education in honor of her mother. It was a challenging time, but Victoria soon received the news she’d been working towards; College of the Desert offered her a seat in the RN Program in February 2024.

She knows the next two years will be challenging but not impossible. Coming from a Hispanic culture, Victoria has always been taught to work hard for what she wants in life. She remains positive and humble and never gives up. Her goal is to become an RN in labor and delivery.

Xylica Anne Olea

Xylica Anne Olea

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  December 2024

Xylica’s passion for nursing began when her mother was diagnosed with cancer.  She regularly interacted with her mother’s care team and watched the nurses combine their clinical expertise with their heartfelt compassion while caring for her mother. Determined to be just like the compassionate nurses that cared for her mother, Xylica applied and was accepted to one of the leading medical universities in the Philippines. Her path to becoming a nurse came to an abrupt halt with her mother’s passing.  She was forced to drop out of university and immigrate to the United States with her father and brother.

She found work in the Coachella Valley as a caregiver for the elderly and thrived on assisting them with their daily activities, celebrating birthdays, sharing jokes and hearing stories of their younger years. After earnestly saving her earnings, Xylica was able to continue her pursuit in education.  

She has earned her Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Certification, her license as a Vocational Nurse and is now on the path to complete her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse. Apart from becoming a nurse, Xylica is also married to her wonderful husband and is a mother to their their three year old son whom she loves dearly.  She feels fortunate to have her father living with them as well. Her family motivates her to succeed in everything she does.

Pursing her goal as a registered nurse will open more doors for her family and for her own self-advancement.

Rafaela Ballardo Medina

Rafaela Ballardo Medina

CSUSB/Spanish major
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

Rafaela is a first generation college student whose family immigrated from Mexico.  She is married and the proud mother of two sons. Completing her education has always been a priority for Rafaela.  She’s worked hard over the years and most recently received her Associate’s Degree in Spanish.

Rafaela participates in various programs that are offered at CSUSB, including the Sail Program and the EOP program.  She finds their workshops informative and helpful. She’s also extremely grateful to be part of the Dream Act which has helped to cover some academic expenses.

Rafaela’s primary goal is to be a Spanish teacher in the Coachella Valley and would ultimately like to continue studying for her Master’s Degree in Education.

Traisa Josephson

Traisa Josephson

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  December 2025

Traisa is a forty three year old wife, mother and student.  She has been married for thirteen years and she and her husband have two daughters.  Her girls are her greatest accomplishment in life.

Traisa is a dedicated, hard working woman and her family motivates her.  She wants to be a good role model for her children and show them that anything is possible with hard work and determination. Traisa has wanted to be a nurse for as long as she can remember.  But, life got in the way.  Now fifteen years later, she is determined to accomplish her initial dream of becoming a nurse. During the pandemic, Traisa found herself out of work.  That slowed her down enough to focus on what she wanted out of life and she started attending classes at College of the Desert.

She is now in her second semester in the Nursing program at COD. Traisa is back to work, caring for her children and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She plans on excelling in school and will graduate from COD in December 2025. Traisa’s goal is to work for one of the hospitals in the Coachella Valley.

 

Maria Gaeta

Maria Gaeta

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

Maria was born and raised in the Coachella Valley.  She is the youngest of three siblings and a daughter to proud immigrants from El Salvador. In her family, she will be the first generation to attend college and she plans on making her parents proud. She understands it was a difficult journey for her parents to become US citizens and feels honored to have them see her graduate from college as a register nurse.

As a single mother of two, it was taken her a few years to complete the prerequisites for the nursing program.  During that time, Maria has worked in the medical field and is certain this is more than a career, it’s a calling. Her greatest motivation in pursuing her education is her children.  She wants to be a great example to them and remind them that despite the obstacles in life, it is never impossible to reach the career goals we set for ourselves.  She is also eager to provide a better financial life for them.

Maria plans to use her education to uplift marginalized communities by become an active participant. She has already been accepted into the prestigious Eisenhower Health’s ‘New Grad Program’ which serves as an intern program. Her goal is to continue to work at Eisenhower Health and to continue to serve her local community.

 

Cinthya De Luna

Cinthya De Luna

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

Cinthya is working to obtain her degree in Nursing. Her life has been full of hard choices and one of the most difficult choices was to go back to school after twenty years. Cinthya is motivated by her supportive husband and four wonderful daughters. They have been a great support system to help her reach her goals. Cinthya thrives on helping others.  She loves the feeling of being able to make a difference in someone’s life.

After being employed at Eisenhower Health for the past eight years, she has made the decision to continue her education and to become a Registered Nurse. Her educational goals are to complete the RN program, receive an Oncology certificate and complete a BSN program. She wants to continue working at Eisenhower Health in their Oncology Department.

Cinthya realizes this is her greatest desire and she knows that her accomplishments, sacrifices, late night study sessions and sleepless nights will make this possible.

 

Ravin Cole

Ravin Cole

Copper Mountain College/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2024

Ravin was the youngest and the only girl in a family of six. At the age of four, Ravin’s parents began enrolling her in beauty pageants in order for her to be around young girls her age.  This gave her the ability to learn to be herself and communicate well with people of all ages.  It also allowed her to have a strong sense of sisterhood.

Ravin’s parents wanted the best for she and her siblings, but it was always challenging for them to make ends meet. Ravin’s mom went back to school to seek a better career choice and one that would provide their family a better life. In 2013, Ravin’s mom, Carol Levinson, applied and was granted a GoGirl! Grant in 2013.  She graduated with a degree in Nursing from College of the Desert.  She has worked in various specialities; dialysis, oncology, telemetry and as a spine, joint, trauma medical and surgical nurse.   During Carol’s time as a one of our grant recipients, Ravin accompanied her mom to some of our GoGirl! Luncheons and was inspired by our organization.

Now it’s come full circle.  Ravin has also discovered her passion in Nursing.  She is studying for her RN and will follow with her BSN and MSN. She strives to give back to the community that has done so much for her and ultimately, would like to become a nursing instructor at College of the Desert. She also wants to remain a part of the Girlfriend Factor and enjoy the same type of sisterhood that she loved as a young girl.

 

Maricela Carranza

Maricela Carranza

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  May 2025

Maricela was born and raised in Indio. Upon graduating from Indio High School, Maricela thought she wanted to be a preschool teacher, but her life took another path. At a young age, Maricela became a single mother of three beautiful daughters. 

As time passed and it became more difficult to make ends meet, Maricela realized she needed to return to school and finish her education to improve her family’s quality of life. Her passion turned to the health care field, and specifically Oncology. She is now employed full time at Eisenhower Medical Center while going to school full time.  She’s working towards her RN degree and ultimately her BSN degree in Oncology and volunteers with Street Medicine.

Years passed until Maricela realized that should she never have given up on her dream of going to college. She hopes to inspire her daughters and they continue to motivate her.  They remind her on a daily basis how proud they are of their mother.

 

Melissa Martin Del Campo-Apodaca

Melissa Martin Del Campo-Apodaca

College of the Desert/Nursing
Anticipated Graduation Date:  December 2025

Melissa is a 34 year old mother of three who grew up in the Coachella Valley. She was driven to continue her education after high school, but it felt so out of reach, she decided to travel and experience life. Ultimately, she returned to the desert, married and decided to go back to school to begin studying for a career that she and her family could be proud of.

Since returning to school she has graduated with High Honors, was placed on the Dean’s List on five different occasions for her high GPA and was granted a seat in the College of the Desert’s RN program on her first application.  All this while working full time and raising three wonderful children.

Currently, Melissa would like to specialize in the NICU ward or cardiology. She wants to give back to the community she grew up in and strives to be the best she can be for herself, all who support her, but also her Dad who passed away in 2018.  She knows he would be so proud of her.

Jessica Colella

Jessica Colella

 Copper Mountain, Nursing Program
Grand Canyon University (online), BSN Program
Anticipated Graduation dates:  May 2024; RN Program
May 2025; BSN Program

As a child, Jessica’s parents were both addicted to drugs and alcohol and she grew up living in fear.  She feared that she would never amount to anything and that she would inherit their drug and alcohol addiction. In reality, what happened was the opposite.  They ignited a spark in her that yearns for success.  She strives to become something great in life and even failing has taught her to work harder.

Jessica became homeless at seventeen and was forced to choose between attending college or working to provide herself with a place to live.  At that time, she chose to work her way through life, but always had the desire to go back to school. After working as a hemodialysis technician, she developed her love of nursing and has never felt better about the difference she’s making in people’s live daily.  This has given her a sense of purpose and a wish to continue her education.

She has two small children and is married to a wonderful and supportive man.  Her goal as a nurse is to give back love and compassion to those in need.  Her goal as a mother is to set a strong and meaningful example for her children.  With her nursing degree, she will be able to make a lasting impact on her patients and community. Jessica’s ultimate goal is to become a Nursing First Assistant at Eisenhower and work in the operating room assisting with surgeries.