MEET OUR GRADUATES: Jenny Galvez – Strength in the Face of Adversity

The Aspen Institute’s Postsecondary Success for Parents initiative states that one in five college students is a parent. Jenny Galvez is one of them. She is a 45-year-old RIC student and mother of three, whose long journey to earn a nursing degree started when she moved from Peru to Rhode Island with her seven-year-old son in 2005. Galvez was 25, a single mother living in a shelter, working four part-time jobs and caring for her son.

“We lived in the shelter for seven months. I didn’t have a credit report history in this country, so renting an apartment was impossible,” she says. “But being in that shelter was a good thing, because once you get there, you can only go up. You find the tools to get out of where you are, and life gears you to keep going up and beyond.”

A few years later, Galvez attended ESL classes in the evening at CCRI. Once all levels of the program were completed, she started taking general studies courses to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). The year was 2009.

After nearly a decade of working as a CNA in nursing homes in Middletown and as an emergency room CNA at Newport Hospital while attending school, Galvez earned her associate’s degree in nursing. In 2021, she transferred her credits to Rhode Island College to continue pursuing her calling.

Being the oldest of seven children, Galvez felt destined to become a nurse, the largest healthcare profession in the nation.

“I think nursing chose me. I always had to care for my siblings and look after them. I have a brother who’s been epileptic since he was little,” she says. “I think that desire to be there for others led me to nursing.”

The challenges she overcame – learning a new language, learning to use technology, keeping her grades up while managing her time and finances, trying to be a good mom, and working a part-time job – were daunting. However, her positive attitude and desire for a better quality of life kept moving her forward. 

“It has paid off,” she says. “I feel privileged, which drives me to help others. I knew my goal from the beginning, and that kept me from sitting back. I had to act and overcome those challenges.”

Galvez aims to set an example for her three children. Her son, now 27, is in the U.S. Air Force completing a psychology degree. She also has 10-year-old twin daughters. 

“In my life, I have set priorities. Those are my kids as well as my own and their education,” she says. “As parents, we don’t guide our children with words, but by example. My oldest son has been my pillar. He supports me, gives me advice and provides encouragement that keeps me going.”

Galvez thanks Rhode Island College for accepting her into the School of Nursing and for all she has learned these past four years, which has helped develop her character, prioritize her work and persevere in her goal.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity RIC has given me,” she says. “I never felt discriminated against because of my age. At RIC, teachers might touch on sensitive areas within us, but I believe they are there to bring out the best in each student.

“This achievement is not just mine; it represents the strength, sacrifices and support of my loved ones, especially my grandmother, who helped me get here,” says Galvez. 

Now that the moment to walk across the stage to receive her diploma has arrived, Galvez recalls, “They say you can judge how successful a higher education institution is by how successful its students are. RIC provided me with the tools I needed to be successful. The fact that I’ll now be able to access better job opportunities makes me a winner.”

For those students who are still in college or are thinking about pursuing a college degree, she says, “Don’t lose sight of your goal. Life will show you where you need to go.”

Learn more about the B.S.N. in nursing program.