Juan Osteguin

About me:

Eloise L. Morales, born September 25th 1957. Her desire, as a very young girl, was to become a nurse when she grew up. Her dream was shattered in 1973, at the age of 15, when she received the news that she was pregnant. She felt she had no alternative but to drop out of school and plan to provide for this child about to come into her life. Eloise often wondered about her life to be. She was told “pregnant, Hispanic drop out, you will be on welfare and food stamps for the rest of your life.” And she was on welfare and food stamps, but one thing they did not know about Eloise was that she knew how to work. Still having that dream to one day become a nurse, she decided to become a nurse assistant. She would work with nurses, help the nurse do the nurse’s work, and be part of the nursing team. Little did she know that this would serve as an invaluable experience in her future. Life was not easy for Eloise, nor did she make it easier for herself. Eventually having five children, divorced and single, working as a nurse assistant and still receiving government assistance, she did the unimaginable: took a leap of faith and went to nursing school. This did not come easy for Eloise, nor was it easy for anyone else. It took her twice as long, cost twice as much but was also doubly rewarded when she walked the stage to received her degree as a Registered Nurse. Eloise went on to become an Emergency Room nurse and was one of the highest paid nurses in that ER. She would be an inspiration to others who would be facing hard times and challenges and would often say “If I could do it, you can do it” or as our school motto goes “You Really Can Do It!” She never forgot where she started: a Hispanic, pregnant, high school drop out, on welfare and food stamps and with no future in sight. But, here she was, the exact opposite. All her sons, at her urging, would also become nurse assistants. One is now in the home improvement business, the second is a realtor, while a third son is currently working and making a living as a nurse aide and owns his own party rental business (www.alamoparty.com). Her oldest went on to become a nurse and has been for 14 years and also owns his own business, Crime Scene Cleaners (www.crime-clean.com). Her daughter decided to stay home and care for her special needs child. Dreams can and do happen, but so does life. In 2001, Eloise was in an almost life taking car accident and was rushed to the very emergency room that she worked in. During her examination, an abnormality was discovered and she was sent for further testing. She was diagnosed with renal cancer and given six (6) months to live. Eloise always knew she had more time than six months, in fact she felt she would live to be an “old woman sitting in a rocking chair on her wrap-around porch. However, the diagnosis was a wake up call and she had yet another dream that she needed to fulfill. That dream was to give back to those who helped her while she went through life and its obstacles. She had a special place in her heart to teenage Hispanic mothers, but she did not know how to give back. Then her older sister, who was also a nurse in Colorado, came to visit and told her about her school back home. “That’s it!” Eloise said. I will open a low tuition nurse aide school to give anyone the same start she had. “All they needed was a foothold, and the rest is on them to continue.” She remembered how costly and timely it was for her to attend school. She insisted that how class with time efficient, cost effective, and if any student needs tutoring it would be free, if any student failed they would re-enroll at no charge. Tuition would be so low that it could be paid for out of pocket, and it would include everything the student needed to begin their career. “One price one location.” Eloise did not want to inconvenience the student; she wanted everything to be provided to the student at the school. We would assist with resume writing and have job placement assistance. “This is how I will give back” she would often say. But, who would she get to help her in this endeavor. Well, the very people that were always with her during the lowest and finest hours. Those same people who understood and carried the same mission and vision she had: Her children, who by the way were no longer children but grown adults. Eloise along with three of her sons would become the founders of Academy Of Nurses Assistant. In July of 2005, Academy Of Nurses Assistant enrolled its first and only student who was politely asked if he could wait until August when we had more students, and he did. And, in August we did have more students, no much more, just a couple more. Then in July of 2006, we again, had to ask one student to come back in August, but this time it because our class was full to capacity. Another dream had come true. Many lives have been touched by Eloise Morales, and she has helped others make their dreams come true. Many are now nurses living their happy full lives. The founders of Academy Of Nurses Assistant are Eloise L. Morales and three of her sons starting from the youngest Chesarae “Chez” Garza, Lee Osteguin and her oldest child Juan R. Osteguin III. In April of 2008, Eloise L. Morales lost her battle with cancer. She had taken a six month prognosis in 2001 and made it into seven years of dream making. But, it is still not over. Her son Juan R. Osteguin is now the director of Academy Of Nurses Assistant, and her legacy lives on. My staff and I invite to visit our campus and let us help you make your dreams come true. Because here at Academy Of Nurses Assistant “You Really Can Do It!” Juan R. Osteguin III – L.V.N./Director In loving memory of Eloise L. Morales 1957-2008 Our Mother Our Mentor Our Dream Catcher