Stories: Denita K. Landsaw, RRT

“What interested me in the Respiratory Care program was the ability to start a professional career that has direct ‘one on one’ patient care in a field where the demand for skilled professionals is escalating.

“The education I received has provided the ‘bridge’ I needed for a better future for myself. It has opened many doors and brought more options and opportunities into my life than I ever thought possible. The instructors are highly invested in their students’ success and make every reasonable effort to see that you will succeed. All the instructors in the Respiratory Care program at El Centro are incredible educators, mentors and passionate advocates.

“Why would I recommend this program? As a student, you will have the benefit of having instructors with many years of field experience. You will have the opportunity to gain experience as a therapist during clinical rotations throughout hospitals such as Parkland, Methodist and Children’s, just to mention a few. You will graduate with confidence that you never knew you had. Best of all, you will have many employers and job opportunities waiting for you upon graduation. Nothing is impossible!”

Denita K. Landsaw earned an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Respiratory Care from El Centro. She is most proud of successfully passing all three National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) board exams and becoming a registered respiratory therapist (RRT).

Valentina Guzmán César

Pre-Med Student

“There have been moments in my life when I saw how much of a difference one person can make simply by showing up. ... Those experiences drew me toward emergency medicine.”

General Studies

Oanh Kim Nguyen, MLT(ASCP)

Medical Laboratory Technician Methodist Medical Center of Dallas

“My first experience at community college was taking ESL classes at Richland and Brookhaven, which were close to where I lived. Then when I started exploring what kind of program I wanted to take for a career change, I saw Medical Laboratory Technology and transferred to El Centro ... I always tell people who are thinking about community college to think about Medical Laboratory Technology, and I tell them about my personal experience with the program. It’s a stable job, in a quiet environment with a lot less stress than many other medically related fields, and the people are very friendly and professional. I really love my job.”

English as a Second Language (ESL and ESOL), Medical Laboratory Technology

Dolores (Dee) Schueler, BSN, LVN, RN, CRNI

Director of Nurses USBioservices

“Our instructors had high expectations and saw our potential. They let us know that it wasn’t going to be easy, but it wasn’t going to be insurmountable either.”

Nursing