After earning bachelor's degree from OTC, respiratory therapist hopes to be role model

Samantha Gonzalez will make history Thursday as one of the first three students to earn a bachelor's degree, of any kind, from a Missouri community college.

All three will be graduating from Ozarks Technical Community College with a degree in respiratory therapy.

The California native said her educational journey has been less than conventional. She graduated from Ozark High School in 2010 but it wasn't until years later that she enrolled in OTC.

"I didn't go to college right away. I ended up meeting my husband when I was 19 and so I got married and kind of did life a little backwards. I had kids and he was in the military so I supported his career and followed him around and raised our children," said Gonzalez, 31. "When he got out of the military, I wanted to focus on myself and give myself something to be proud of and also be a role model for our daughters."

Her initial goal was to become a teacher. She completed an associate's degree in early childhood education and was a substitute in Nixa Public Schools. Then, the pandemic hit.

"It shed a lot of light on respiratory therapists and the respiratory field in general and it sparked something in me to want to be involved," she said.

Three years ago, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education gave OTC and the St. Louis Community College the authority to offer bachelor's degrees in respiratory therapy.

OTC debuted respiratory therapy in January 2023 with students enrolled in Springfield and Waynesville. It is selective admission, meaning students complete prerequisites before they apply.

Brandon Burk, program director, said OTC can accept up to 30 students for the bachelor's program, which typically takes 3-1/2 years. The one-year associate degree option is capped at 24 students.

"We have a high quality program and now we are the first community college in the state to offer that bachelor's degree," he said.

He said demand for respiratory therapists is "extremely high," noting the Missouri Hospital Association reported a 24% vacancy rate.

"Respiratory therapists are (part) of the emergency response team in the hospital," Burk said. "We go to all of the Code Blues, so people having cardiac arrest, we are on that team. People who have difficulty breathing ... it is an emergency most of the time, so we are the first people that get called."

Burk said students from competitive backgrounds who think critically and are quick on their feet are typically a good fit. "They tend to really enjoy the program and they're successful."

Gonzalez explored the program at OTC. "When I talked to a navigator there, they mentioned I had enough credits ... to actually start the bachelor's program that they were beginning so I jumped in," she said.

The full-time program took a year and a half, even through the summer.

"The class schedule was pretty manageable. We managed to do it with our three kids," she said of her daughters, ages 2, 5 and 8. "I had my youngest two months before I started the program."

Despite the challenge of having a new baby at home, the career path felt like the right fit.

"It's just the right amount of health care, if that makes sense. The nurses really get the nitty gritty of everything but respiratory gets just the right amount. You also get to work everywhere in the hospital," she said. "You can work in ICU, you can work in labor and delivery so you get to experience all the different roles in the hospital."

She added: "For someone that had no health care experience or knowledge prior to this, it was intimidating to say I was going to go into a healthcare position but OTC has made it very attainable."

The other two students graduating this week with a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy are Daniel Bowles and Jade Humphreys.

Gonzalez was able to secure enough financial aid to cover the cost of the majority of the program. "I haven't had to pay out of pocket except for a few hundred dollars here and there."

Demand is high for respiratory therapists. As an OTC student, Gonzalez was able to start a respiratory internship in May 2023 at CoxHealth.

"They offered me a position as a registered respiratory therapist once I graduate so I'll make that transition into that role after this month. It is pretty seamless," she said. "Everyone who is graduating in May has a job lined up so it is a pretty secure career."

More: At May 16 commencement, OTC will award first bachelor's degrees in respiratory therapy

Asked about starting pay, Gonzalez said it is about $29 an hour or $60,000 a year. "It is going to be a huge relief for my husband to not have to be the only one bringing in income every month. I am able to contribute financially."

She hopes her educational journey will provide an example to her children.

"I set out to give myself something to be proud of but also to be a role model to my daughters," she said. "I feel by accomplishing this and having my bachelor's, I have done that."

Want to go?

The OTC commencement is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at the Great Southern Bank Arena. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and the ceremony will be live-streamed on the college's website.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mother of 3 earns bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy from OTC