MTHS grad not satisfied with one diploma

For The Madera Tribune

Fabiola Santiago-Eufracio.

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To call Fabiola Santiago-Eufracio determined would be an understatement.

From a young age, Matilda Torres High School graduate Santiago-Eufracio has known she wanted to be a nurse. However, she was more than determined to get a head start on her career.

She wasn’t just satisfied with the course load at Matilda Torres. She wanted more. At one time, she was attending three different schools to get ahead in her degree.

When Santiago-Eufracio walks across the Torres stage to receive her diploma Friday, it will already be old news to her. She graduated on May 22 with a degree from Madera Community College. She became the first Madera Unified School District student to earn a college degree and a high school diploma in the same year.

“I am very grateful and proud of myself,” she said.

Santiago-Eufracio did all of that while maintaining a 4.07 grade point average at Torres. She was a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) for three years. She volunteered time at the Madera Rescue Mission and at the Madera Rehab Nursing Center.

“There, I took a big role,” she said. “It was for my nursing class. I’ve been going since December. I was named a lead student for the class. I learned a lot of leadership skills. I had to correct my peers, and I couldn’t be scared. It was a great experience. I learned a lot. I had to remember to include myself if we made a mistake. I had to get my tasks done, too, but made sure they were getting their stuff done. I was communicating with my instructor, nurses and physicians. It was a big role to become a leader.”

Santiago-Eufracio plans to attend Fresno State to major in nursing to get a bachelors in biological science and become a registered nurse in neurology, and eventually become a chief of nursing.

“From a very young age, I set my goals. As of now, I am making sure that I am on track,” she said.

Santiago-Eufracio’s interest in nursing can be linked to her mother, who was a certified nursing assistant, but is going to school to become a registered nurse.

“From a young age, I’ve had a big interest in nursing watching my mom,” she said. “I watched her struggle to become a nurse, not only financially, but it was hard for her. She had children. There were multiple times, she faced barriers to become a nurse. I want to make a difference and do the same thing she’s done. She’s in a nursing program today. I’ve watched my mom stay resilient and never give up. I want to follow those steps.”

When Santiago-Eufracio began her Torres career, she wanted to see what else she could do to help accelerate her timeline.

“I was a sophomore, and I was using Google to see if there were any more courses I could take,” she said. “I wanted to start being involved in courses and the medical field early. I found a program called the High School Enrichment Program. I made phone calls, and eventually applied for it. It was a long process because I needed letters of recommendation from my principal and counselors to show I was ready to dedicate my time to the process. Ever since then when I applied to my classes. The counselors limit us to only one class the first semester. I was very determined. Nursing has a lot of courses to complete. I knew I had two years to finish.”

Her goal was to complete that program by her senior year, so she took three classes each semester, and took some during summer break, on top of her difficult high school schedule.

“The counselor was doubtful, at first,” she said. “Two of the classes were going to be in-person. I passed that first semester with a 4.0. I did that every semester, including the summer.”

Santiago-Eufracio still wasn’t satisfied. She wanted to take chemistry at Madera Community College, but couldn’t because she had to have a junior year of math, and she was just entering her junior year.

“I couldn’t fall back. I did more research. I found a program in Madera to enroll in a match class so I could finish it during the summer and take chemistry at the college in the fall,” she said.

She said her last year was most difficult because she was taking three AP classes at Torres and in college, on top of her household duties.

“I had a lot on my plate,” Santiago-Eufracio said. “I had responsibilities as a daughter. I had to help my mom out and my siblings. I really had to manage my time. I couldn’t spend all my time in my room studying. I had to discipline myself to give time to my schoolwork, while giving time to myself and my family. It was very important to balance both of those.”

After all the hard work, Santiago-Eufracio walked with he college students a couple of weeks ago, and will walk with her class this week.

“I was surprised,” she said of her MCC graduation. “They told me that the opportunity given to me from the program allowed me to get this far. I took advantage of opportunities that were given. They are out there. It’s just you have to put in the effort and take advantage of them. In the end, it could lead to a great outcome. If it’s something you love doing, like me, I love learning, love nursing.”

During all of her course load through the past couple of years, she had to find time for herself.

“There were times I was stressed out, but it led to something great,” she said.

After stacking a lot of classes during her sophomore and junior year, Santiago-Eufracio “took it easy” this semester with two college courses instead of three. She also had two free periods in high school.

“I have more time for myself. I am doing more activities and excited for that,” she said.

Santiago-Eufracio is the second oldest of five siblings, so she also has to take care of her three younger siblings while staying on top of her school work.

“My mom and dad work, so I had to be home. I had my laptop out and making sure my siblings were getting taken care of,” she said. “I helped them out with their homework. I gained so many skills from this experience. I am ready to use them in the world and with my nursing experience.”

“Both graduations will be satisfying,” Santiago-Eufracio said. “I am very proud of myself.”