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Alumni Spotlight: Tanya Medrano '19

Aspirations know no limits for Saint Martin students. Tanya Medrano ‘19 and her accomplishments are proof of how Saint Martin de Porres High School sets its students up for success. A recent graduate of Cuyahoga Community College, Tanya passed the NCLEX exams for licensure as a nurse and is now working at the Cleveland Clinic. As she reflects on her journey, Tanya cannot help but think of what led her here- Saint Martin and the ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program, founded and funded by the Howley Foundation and Cleveland Clinic.

If Tanya could thank Saint Martin for one thing she shares, “it would be the multitude of experiences and endless opportunities that it gave me. If I had not seen the emails about the ASPIRE program from the College Counseling team, I don’t know where I’d be now.” Tanya specifically reminisced on a class unique to Saint Martin curriculum - College Readiness, focused on charting postsecondary pathways so students can make informed college and career decisions. “It gives young people the guidance they need for their future,” she said when recalling how the class impacted her.

Relationships were critical to Tanya’s Saint Martin experience. Joining the community her sophomore year, the impact of her three years at Saint Martin are evident. She highlighted that “the teachers and staff were like a family, they all were a big inspiration and unforgettable''. In fact, the meaningful relationships extended past graduation when Tanya interned at her Corporate Work Study job of three years at Eaton, working in Supply Chain Management. As a nursing student, her work with Microsoft Excel, fostered during her work study experience, continues to help her propel her dreams forward as she is already skilled in areas critical to real work experience.

Tanya expressed particular gratitude to Dr. T, who encouraged her to apply for the ASPIRE program, and to the ASPIRE program itself and is proud to be one of 12 Saint Martin students who have participated in it. Tanya is on the cusp of becoming a licensed nurse, and attributed her ability to reach this goal due to the support, encouragement, and foundation she established in high school. The combination of Saint Martin’s emphasis on preparing oneself for the completion of their goals, and the educational and financial support of the Howley Foundation and Cleveland Clinic through the ASPIRE program, allow talented individuals like Tanya to change the world.

Three years after graduation, Tanya still actively thinks about her unforgettable three years at Saint Martin. She fondly remembers the teachers, her peers, and the presence of possibilities. There’s no doubt that Tanya’s alma mater continues to impact her life even today. Looking ahead, she hopes to see new sights as a travel nurse, and will carry her skills from Saint Martin with her as she goes.

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To learn more about the ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program, visit: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/nursing/career/aspire-program