From Geologist to Caregiver: A Students' Journey

For McGregory Gamez, life has been a journey of transformation and resilience. A geologist from Venezuela, Gamez arrived in the United States seeking a fresh start. At ECC, he found the support he needed to chart a new path.

Gamez enrolled in free English as a second language classes at ECC, and while improving his communication skills, he discovered health care bridge classes and the basic nurse assistant (BNA) program. ECC’s Integrated Career and Academic Preparation System (ICAPS) helped Gamez as he started the first classes he had ever taken fully in English. The ICAPS program offers support for students pursuing vocational certificates, some of which can be completed in a year or less. A designated ICAPS coach helps with the application and financial aid processes
and monitors the students’ progress.

“The BNA program was great,” Gamez said. “All of my instructors were very supportive, and my advisor encouraged me as I took nursing classes along with ESL classes.”

Gamez chose health care after a life-altering experience battling COVID-19, which kept him hospitalized for months. Witnessing the challenges within the health care system, he felt called to make a difference. While working as a food delivery driver, Gamez even studied in his car between deliveries, determined to improve his language skills and advance his career. That determination paid off, and he graduated from the BNA program with honors.

Today, Gamez works as a certified nursing assistant at a senior living facility, where he finds joy in helping people during the final stages of their lives. “It is very different from my career as a geologist,” Gamez said. “But in that field, I learned to enjoy working with people, and I am still doing that, just in a different way.”

Gamez plans to continue his education to become a licensed practical nurse and hopes to reunite his family in the U.S. His story is a testament to his perseverance and ECC’s ability to help students achieve their dreams. To hear more of McGregory Gamez’s story in Spanish, visit elgin.edu/adulted.