Elena Mallary wants to make a difference by being compassionate, caring, and dedicated to her patients.
She found her career path as a nursing student at San Jacinto College, earning a certificate of technology in vocational nursing in 2011. She then passed her national licensure exam as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, and transferred to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Nursing. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UTMB in April, and hopes to secure a position at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she has completed several clinical rotations and is currently shadowing an experienced nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit.
After changing her field of study several times and experiencing uncertainty about her direction, San Jacinto College’s nursing program enabled Mallary to realize she wanted to be a nurse. “I remember well the day that she came home raving about the cool things they were doing in professor Jeffrey Lockett’s class and how excited she was to become a nurse,” commented her mother, Laura Mallary. “I knew then she had found the right career path. We are all incredibly grateful for the guidance and opportunities she received at San Jacinto College, and credit her former instructors and mentors with contributing to her success at UTMB and her future accomplishments.”
The solid foundation Elena received at San Jacinto College enabled her to excel and thrive. She especially flourished from the tutelage of Lockett, who taught the first nursing class she ever took. “Professor Lockett pushed us to be caring, compassionate, and the best we could be,” Mallary commented. “He is one of the most dedicated and caring persons I’ve met.”
She also greatly benefitted from the practical, hands-on training she experienced as a student intern at San Jacinto College. “The clinical experience helped me understand what the medical field is really like,” she remarked. “I was able to practice procedures in a live setting, and had the guidance of an instructor when needed.”
Mallary continued to excel after transferring to the UTMB School of Nursing, volunteering with the university’s Student Nursing Association, and with the Butterfly Project, an interdisciplinary student association that helps people deal with bereavement. During her senior year, she was inducted into the elite Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society, and served as a student mentor to new nursing students.
Mallary is attracted to nursing because she wants a career that is rewarding and can make a positive impact.
“Generally, a nurse spends most of the time with the patient,” she said. “They are the ones who are constantly at the bedside, talking and providing care. Also nursing provides an opportunity to explore different fields.” Her ultimate career goal is to become a flight nurse and work in pediatric trauma.
San Jacinto College offers a wide range of nursing courses and degree plans at all three campuses. For more information, please visit www.sanjac.edu/areas-study#nursing.
Rob Vanya