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Since its inception, Western Governors University has focused on advancing equity by increasing access to higher education. The Latinx community is one of the best-represented in Â鶹ԭ´´'s student body. Almost 11% of Â鶹ԭ´´'s full-time undergraduate students are Hispanic, as are 8.2% of full-time graduate students.

Luis Garcia-Campos was one of them. Here's what his journey to a Â鶹ԭ´´ bachelor's degree looked like.

The Road to Continued Education

Garcia-Campos's path to his Â鶹ԭ´´ education college degree started in 2001, when he immigrated to the United States from Venezuela. Getting a bachelor's degree was his primary goal, and he did everything in his power to work toward that.

Garcia-Campos's hard work and dedication paid off in 2014: He received his associate degree in nursing and found work as a registered nurse soon afterward.

But everything changed in 2017, when Garcia-Campos's husband was diagnosed with cancer. While his husband was going through radiation, Garcia-Campos asked a lot of questions about cancer and radiation, learning what he could to get a better understanding of what his spouse was going through. In that time, he met a radiation-oncology nurse who told him about how she started her career—and how she owes it all to her bachelor's degree in nursing from Â鶹ԭ´´.

Getting to Know Â鶹ԭ´´

That was the first time Garcia-Campos had ever heard of Â鶹ԭ´´, but it's a testament to how word-of-mouth has brought to Â鶹ԭ´´ bachelor's degree programs many high-achieving Latinx students seeking a pathway to a better future.

"The affordability of Â鶹ԭ´´, the access provided by online instruction, and the opportunity to complete a degree program according to your own schedule because of competency-based education would make Â鶹ԭ´´ attractive to Latino students," Raymund Paredes, former commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, told Â鶹ԭ´´. "They just need to learn about the school."

Once Garcia-Campos discovered Â鶹ԭ´´, he was hooked.

"After I checked out their website, I applied right away," he said.

Finding the Right Advisor

Garcia-Campos says that his experience at Â鶹ԭ´´ was great and filled with a ton of opportunities, but he was anxious about earning his degree online.

"It was the first time that I took online courses, and I was very scared since I didn't know what to expect," he said. "I am really thankful to my advisor, Stephanie, for making my learning experience at Â鶹ԭ´´ a very rewarding one."

Â鶹ԭ´´'s dedicated advisors are an essential part of the learning experience—and Stephanie was always there for Garcia-Campos when he needed her.

"She knew from the beginning what my weaknesses were as an online student, and she helped me to overcome them," he said. "Whenever I needed her, she was there to help."

Triumph and Gratitude

Ultimately, Garcia-Campos' experience as a Latinx student at Â鶹ԭ´´ was a resounding success. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2019.

"As an immigrant and a Latin man, I feel very grateful for the opportunity that Â鶹ԭ´´ provided me to further my studies," he said. "On ceremony day, I proudly carried my Venezuelan flag around me and I learned that there were other Latinos graduating with me, and I thought that was very cool. Thanks to Â鶹ԭ´´, I have become the first of my mom's four kids to earn a bachelor's college degree."

That's an achievement that won't be forgotten—and the credit goes to Garcia-Campos for his hard work and dedication, and to Â鶹ԭ´´ for providing opportunities to underserved communities around the world.