Today@Sam Article

First-Generation Student Pursues Passion

Nov. 4, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

Trista Alvarado knows the struggles that rural Texans face when their health begins to decline, or an unexpected injury upends their lives. By seeing family and community members struggle, she was inspired to pursue higher education and learn how to help those in need.

Between Houston and San Antonio, Alvarado’s hometown of Flatonia, Texas is a tiny town with 1,300 residents nestled in the broad expanse between two major metropolitan areas. When a major medical emergency strikes, the miles between Flatonia and two of the state’s major cities seem much more expansive. Despite the distance, residents like Alvarado’s family are dedicated to their town and lean on local doctors to tend to their needs.

“I’m the fifth generation to live on our family property. Growing up, it was my great grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunt and uncle who were always very close,” Alvarado said. “When my great grandmother was hospitalized then later put into the nursing home, she received occupational therapy services, and I saw just how life-changing it was.”

After realizing the significance of having occupational therapists available not just in major cities, but across the Lone Star State, Alvarado decided to become the first in her family to attend a four-year university. After applying to Sam Houston State University on a whim in her senior year of high school, Alvarado thought nothing of it, until her acceptance letter arrived on her father’s birthday.

“He told me it was one of the greatest birthday gifts I could have given him because I am first-generation, so going to college is very important to my parents,” Alvarado said. “I want to thank Natalie Foreman with Visitor Services for being a hometown connection, and for helping me get a tour set up, because I toured SHSU two weeks later and fell in love with campus. I could just see myself in the Lowman Student Center, or in the Lee Drain Building studying. It just felt like home right away.”

Upon moving in and getting her college career started, Alvarado encountered some of the main challenges that first-generation students face, such as being away from their support system, transitioning from high school into college life and getting connected to their new home. Despite these challenges, Alvarado persevered and was able to find her niche on campus.

“I found my sense of belonging by getting involved, it’s a very cliché answer that you always hear, but it’s very true,” she said. “I’m in TRIO, which is for first-generation students, and through their support I was able to receive a job working for the dean in the College of Health Sciences and they are truly like family. They have seen me at my best, and at my worst.”  

As she continued to find new connections to make around campus, Alvarado was surprised to see how easy it was to bond with not just her fellow students but her professors as well. Upon seeing the passion that her professors had for educating future occupational and physical therapists, her own enthusiasm for her future profession reached new heights.

This summer, Alvarado was able to bring her passion into practice when she participated in an internship at Lavaca Medical Center in Hallettsville, Texas. The experience provided her with a close-up look at occupational therapy and exposed her to the practical applications of the different modalities that are available, including cognitive rehabilitation, splinting, positioning, ADL training and mobility training.

“Most importantly, I was able to see firsthand the immense need for medical professionals in rural populations. Because of this incredible opportunity, I was able to connect what I am learning in the classroom to real-life situations,” Alvarado said. “By bridging knowledge with practical application, I was able to observe how occupational therapy education equips practitioners to make an incredible difference in patients' daily lives, enhancing their ability to perform meaningful activities and achieve greater independence."

Following her experience, Alvarado is more driven than ever to earn her degree and enter the field. She will be carrying that momentum into her post-graduate studies as she works her way up to earning a doctorate in the future. For now, she is looking forward graduating in 2026 and gifting her family the joy of seeing their loved one succeed.   

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