Angelo State Graduate Defies Poverty and Public Assistance with a Better Life

Sylvia Arambula, 30, of San Angelo knows what it means to struggle. She was born on Christmas Day in 1984 to Maria Arispe, who, three months later, gave her away to family members Pete and Isabel Lara.

The Laras raised the girl as their own with their two sons. Sylvia said she grew up like many other Mexican American families in San Angelo. They lived in a small house, and while she went to school, her parents worked two, and sometimes three jobs to provide for them.

“We never went without,” Sylvia recalled. “We always had everything we needed.”

When Sylvia was 16, Sylvia moved out on her own.

“I got my own place,” she noted. “But I graduated from Central in 2003.”

About a year after she graduated, Sylvia got pregnant with twin girls, Alyssa and Mariah. She had them in March 2005. A year later, she had another daughter, Dahlia. The twins’ father, Sylvia’s high school sweet heart, left her after she had the babies. While working the night shift at Whataburger, she met Dahlia’s dad, who eventually did the same thing, so she was left to raise her kids on her own.

At the time, Sylvia worked minimum wage jobs that led to nowhere.

“I’ve worked so many in-and-out jobs until I got stuck,” Sylvia added.

However, with help from the Texas Workforce Solutions and other programs, Sylvia will be walking the stage today beginning at 10 a.m. along with 371 other undergraduate students at Angelo State University to receive her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. In addition to the 372 undergraduates, there will also be 131 master degrees awarded. The graduation will be held at the ASU Junell Center/Stephens Arena, 2235 S. Jackson St.

“It feels so unreal,” the soon-to-be graduate said. “It seemed like it took forever.”

Sylvia, the first to graduate in her family, added that she never thought she would get to this moment.

“I couldn’t imagine myself here,” she said. “I imagined myself just working here and there. I didn’t accept it. It’s not for me.”

However, with a little bit of help, Sylvia is here, and this day marks a new change in her life.

When Sylvia’s twins were about 4 years old, in Head Start and got into day care, she started Howard College and was able to maintain classes and go to work. She started in 2009. A program through the Workforce Center helped with the first few years of her tuition and child care expenses.

“I did get some assistance. I didn’t do it all by myself, but I’ve always worked full time. I’ve never been without a job,” Sylvia claimed. “What really helped me go to school was I got help with daycare assistance. The CCS program really did help me because it did provide daycare so I could attend school.”

Her friend Sarah Moya also helped the single mother.

“She’s my best friend,” Sylvia stated. “She gave me a job. She worked with me. She worked with my schedule. She worked with my pay. She gave me night hours. I worked overnight, went to school during the day and had the kids. There’s not very many bosses out there who work with your schedule.”

Overall, Sylvia spent four years at Howard. She got an associate’s degree both in Criminal Justice and one in Healthcare Management.

“I couldn’t find a job with just an associate’s degree,” she said. “I couldn’t find anything here in San Angelo.”

Sylvia said she did think about leaving San Angelo to find more opportunity, but it wasn’t an option when she was a single parent with many obligations.

In 2012, Jennifer Dube, a good friend of Sylvia’s talked her into attending ASU, so she did.

“Some of the classes were difficult with the kids,” she explained. “It was pretty hard, but I did have a lot of family support the first few years.”

Sylvia also said she didn’t get much sleep during those years. There were times she worked two jobs, went to school full time and still had to deal with her kids. When they went to bed, she did her homework, cleaned, did laundry or got clothes ready for the next day.

“It was pretty hard, but I did it,” she said. “I had to do it. I had to finish. I was going to finish.”

Sylvia admitted that to finish, she had to use government programs to assist her; however, she worked and went to school. She didn’t abuse the system; she used it to her benefit—the way it’s supposed to be used. Now that she’s graduating, things are about to change.

“I’m fixing to get off. I’m fixing to graduate,” the student proclaimed.

Sylvia said she also has a job lined up after graduation. This year she did an internship with Wendi Jordan, RACT Supervisor with Adult Mental Health Service at MHMR for the Concho Valley.

There was actually some confusion during that internship because Jordan thought she was getting a graduate student, not an undergrad.

“I have never been approached by an undergraduate for internship opportunities with the Rural Assertive Community Treatment team (RACT),” Jordan said. “This is a great place to get exposure and to apply knowledge learned in school, and Sylvia was pretty determined to intern with us. She left me messages, came by our office and emailed me. Her discipline and determination gave me the impression she was completing an advanced degree. I was surprised when she said she was a bachelor-level intern, but that she would put in extra internship hours in order to understand better and take full advantage of the opportunity with MHMR Services for the Concho Valley.”    

Sylvia completed 150 hours in two months because she was there every day, and because of her approach, she is now working with Mike Castellano at the Respite center with MHMR.

“They really liked my positive attitude and what I could give back to my clients,” Sylvia said. “To me, they weren’t just my clients. They’re people who really need my help.”

An opportunity came up where someone was moving away, so Castellano offered her the position for an assistant supervisor. As soon as she graduates, she will move into her new role as assistant supervisor, and she will finally be putting her degree to work. She does mental health assessments for the jail, and she helps people reconnect with the community. Not to mention, the schedule works well with her family obligations.

“It’s the perfect schedule,” Sylvia stated. “I drop my kids off at school. I pick them up when I get out of work. We go home; I cook dinner and get to help them with their homework.”

Sylvia said for now she’s looking forward to a regular schedule, but that may not last since she’s considering grad school.

“Some of my professors have stopped me, and my bosses have said maybe I should go to grad school and learn a lot more,” she said.

Although she’s sure that will be a part of her near future, Sylvia said for now she wants to take some time and save up money so she’s not in debt. Her next step after that will include looking into grants to attend grad school.

“I’ll just move my way up,” Sylvia noted.

Sylvia also said she’s happy she’ll finally be on a good salary. She no longer has to worry about living on minimum wage or moving from job to job. She’s also going to be a homeowner.

The student said, “This summer, if everything goes good, God willing, I’m set up with the Galilee Program; so this summer I’ll be picking a lot so they can start building me a brand new house. It should be ready by the end of next year.”

Sylvia added that she’ll be working with Crockett National Bank; it will provide half the loan, and Galilee puts in the rest of the money.

“All these doors are opening and it’s because of God,” she stated. “I’m doing good for myself.”

Sylvia said she doesn’t feel bad for getting the help she needed to get here. She said it does upset her when people abuse the system because that made it harder on her.

“It also upsets me that people put other people down for using the system, but sometimes we just need that little help. We need that little push,” the mother clarified.

She said during the years she’s been in school, people have judge her.

“I get that a lot, especially since the girls are on Medicaid,” she continued.

Sylvia said she had a situation where someone was really rude to her, and it turns out she now works next to this person. This individual who judged her doesn’t have a degree and is a receptionist, so she feels that’s justice.

“Be careful who you look down on,” the woman voiced. “I don’t think I’m any better, and I will never think I’m any better, but I do know that I bettered myself and I’m willing to help anyone who wants to do the same. Those are my goals.”

Sylvia added that her boss once started at minimum wage and he’s now a supervisor.

“He gave me a chance,” she noted. “They all gave me a chance. They all saw I had potential and gave me a chance. They opened their doors to me. They knew I was on certain stuff, but they didn’t look down on me. They welcomed me with open arms and now I’m fixing to get off all this stuff, and I won’t have to be looked down on when I use my card at the grocery store. It wasn’t a whole lot of help I was getting since I worked, but the [state] met me in the middle. Any help is good help, no matter how little.”

Castellano, Sylvia’s boss, said the young women impressed him with her natural rapport she had with the clients, so it was easy giving her a chance.

He said, “We hire mostly students, and a lot of them come in here thinking they know what they’re going to do, but they have that awakening when they see the real deal here. Sylvia was just natural. Maybe it was her age or experience with life. She just fit in perfect. That really impressed me.”

Castellano added that Sylvia’s easy to get along with and a go-getter.

“She’s very goal oriented,” he said. “She’s about helping people. She has a future here at MHMR. If she desires to go back to school and get her master’s.”

Castellano also said he wished he could keep Sylvia forever, but he knows she will eventually move her way up.

“She’s a blessing,” he noted.

Jordan said she wasn’t surprised Sylvia is fitting in well with the staff of the RACT team and the individuals they work with. 

“Her attitude was always upbeat, she was always hard working and never shied away from a challenge,” Jordan stated. “Sylvia is special in that she doesn’t discriminate against anybody and is selfless and caring to everybody. It has been such a privilege to work with her, and to be associated with her.  I can say without hesitation, that her positive attitude and her life story make her relatable to staff and to those we serve. Sylvia’s story proves that you can accomplish what you set out to do and that your past does not define who you are and what you do for a living.”

Sylvia’s family are also happy for the graduate.

Isabel Lara, Sylvia’s mother, said, “I'm very happy and excited. She has really worked hard and done very well with school and with all she has accomplished on her own. I know she has gotten a good job because of her getting this degree. She has grown a lot; she is a strong woman and has done well by herself going to school. Working and being a single parent is not easy, but she has proven to do it all, and that's why we are so proud of her.”

Sylvia finalized by saying she can now give back for what she received.

“I get to pay back working for my community,” she said. “It’s been a journey. It’s so unreal.”