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Warsaw-native Laysa Nocelotl is the first ���Ĵ�ý student to enroll in the new  – MHA degree offered in collaboration with John Patrick University (JPU) in South Bend, Indiana. Nocelotl credits her family and a number of community resources for helping her realize her dream of attending college. Now Nocelotl aspires to use her degree to be a resource to Hispanic families like hers in the Warsaw community.

“Both of my parents came to Warsaw when they were teenagers,” said Nocelotl. “They began working right away and never had the chance to go to college, even though my mom wanted to. They’ve always wanted more for me,” she said.

Educational programs in Warsaw such as Cardinal Services’ “Head Start” and ���Ĵ�ý’s “College Mentors” at Jefferson Elementary were critical for Nocelotl. Her ���Ĵ�ý mentors helped her with homework, told her what college was like and reaffirmed that college was an option for her.  Little did she know at the time, she would become a  major at ���Ĵ�ý years later.

From a young age, Nocelotl had her sights set on a career in the medical field.  “Many of my family members worked at factories and restaurants, so to have a healthcare professional in the family would be a big deal,” she explained.

After nearly two years on the track to become a physician’s assistant at ���Ĵ�ý, Nocelotl came to the conclusion that chemistry classes weren’t her forte, but she didn’t want to abandon the medical field altogether.

Around that time, Nocelotl’s academic adviser, Dr. Rick Roberts, told her about new online MHA programs available at ���Ĵ�ý through JPU. This program would allow her to still make an impact in the medical field, without being a doctor. A few weeks later, Nocelotl was enrolled in the program and taking her first master’s course.

Since then, Nocelotl has discovered numerous opportunities in the field of healthcare administration which combine her knowledge of the Spanish language and her love for the Warsaw community. One is her current role as a translator for  where she is placed at Heartline Pregnancy Center providing translation services for mothers who speak Spanish.

“The doctor’s office can be one of the scariest places to go for someone who does not speak the language,” explained Nocelotl.  “It is the best feeling to see someone who is struggling to understand English and to give them a huge sigh of relief by translating for them,” she said.

In Nocelotl’s short time at Heartline, she has worked with the staff to think of ways to better reach Spanish-speaking individuals in the community and to make their visit as comfortable as possible.

“After I graduate from the online MHA program, I would love to work for a nonprofit in Warsaw and help encourage Hispanics to utilize resources like Heartline that are available to them through the many nonprofit organizations in our community,” said Nocelotl. “I want the generations that follow me to see someone that looks like them working in healthcare and be empowered.”

Nocelotl is on track to graduate in 2023, a total of four years, with a major, two minors and a master’s degree.

To learn more about the MHA degree at ���Ĵ�ý, visit .