News

Beranda Williams, RN

While taking prerequisites for Victoria College's Associate Degree Nursing Program five years ago, Beranda Williams didn't know how she could stay in school.

"I was scatterbrained and feeling lost," she said. "I was working full time as a single mother and taking four classes at a time, plus a science lab.

"I didn't know if I was going to be able to afford everything. I had just separated from my husband, so I had to find a new place to stay without the income I was used to having. Bills were piling up."

Williams, a first-generation college student, found help in Victoria College's KEY Center, a TRIO Student Support Services Program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The KEY Center provides an academically enriching and supportive environment for low-income, disabled and first-generation college students.

"They were awesome to me — great, positive mentors," she said. "I was so negative coming in. It was like, 'I can't do it. It's too much for me. I am going to have to quit this.' Everything was a whirlwind at that point.

Williams is grateful for the impact that KEY Center Director Pam Neumann had on her.

"She's a wonderful, beautiful person," she said. "They were all like my therapists. After that, things started happening. I knew that I was on the right track, and I wasn't going to quit."

With the help of the KEY Center, Williams turned things around and completed her associate degree in May 2021. Two years later, she is now graduating with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington.

She now works as a case manager at PAM Rehabilitation Hospital and as a traveling nurse for Regency Nursing Home in Victoria.

Being certified as a registered nurse (RN) opened the door to higher wages, but Williams initially got her foot in the door in 2012 after graduating from VC's Vocational Nursing Program and beginning to work as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN).

"Before I got married, I ran into a friend at a nursing home who told me that I should consider going with LVN certification because I am good with the older, geriatric group," she said. "I needed something quick, and you can get your Vocational Nursing Certificate in a year.

"I wanted to go into business, but I couldn't afford to get an associate or bachelor's degree at that time. I chose the Vocational Nursing Program. After that, I flourished."

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Williams plans to spend lots of quality time with her daughter, Malaya Ervin (8), before going back to college, but she is happy to have battled through adversity to come away with a solid education and a brighter future.

"My daughter says, 'Mom, just go do your homework,'" she said. "She's dealt with me through this for the last five years. I want to give back to her for all of the time I've spent in school. I owe her that."

However, that doesn't mean that Williams is necessarily done with her higher education journey.

"I am considering going back to school for a master's degree," she said. "I am undecided if I want to do healthcare administration or education. The whole goal is to get in with a job that will pay for it.

"I need to become a certified case manager. I want to add on as much as I can, like medical billing and coding so I can have endless opportunities."

Williams, who recently spoke at VC about her experiences with the KEY Center as a student, remains grateful for the staff's help in turning everything around for her.

"The women at the KEY Center supplied me with the assistance I needed to get through," she said. "Any time I came in and cried about money, they referred me to the Victoria College Foundation.

"They did anything they could do to help me so I wouldn't quit. They were positive mentors and people to get me to stay in school and give me every resource I could get. I appreciate having somebody who fought for me.