Amarillo College Selects Racheal Garcia as Student Commencement Speaker

Amarillo College has selected Racheal Garcia, a graduate of its Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) program, as the student commencement speaker for the 3 p.m. graduation ceremony Friday, May 15.

Garcia, a nontraditional student who returned to college while raising her granddaughters and supporting her family through illness, will address fellow graduates with a message centered on perseverance, purpose and the value of hard work.

“I was so excited and so nervous — just beyond honored,” Garcia said of being selected. “I’m just me, but being chosen made me feel special.”

Garcia’s journey to nursing began in childhood, inspired by her grandmother, an LVN who graduated from Amarillo College in 1967. She recalls accompanying her to work and developing an early appreciation for patient care. Years later, after raising her own children, Garcia felt called to return to school to pursue a meaningful and stable career while caring for her family.

“I wanted something I could fall back on — something meaningful,” she said. “Nursing just felt right.”

Throughout the program, Garcia discovered a passion for hands-on care, particularly during clinical rotations that exposed her to a wide range of healthcare settings. A recent hospice experience affirmed her calling.

“I want to be there for people,” she said. “When someone takes their first breath, their last breath, and everything in between — that’s meaningful work.”

Garcia credits the program’s faculty and clinical training for building her confidence and preparing her for real-world care.

“The instructors push you because they expect the best,” she said. “But they’re also there to support you every step of the way. They make you believe you can do this.”

Balancing coursework, clinicals and family responsibilities was not easy, she said, but it reinforced the message she now hopes to share with her classmates.

“If it comes easy, you’re not going to appreciate it,” Garcia said. “Anything worth it is hard. But if you work really hard, you can do anything.”

Garcia’s grandchildren, ages 4 and 8, will be in attendance — watching as she becomes the first in her family to walk across a graduation stage.

“I’ve never worn a cap and gown before,” she said. “We’re even decorating my cap together. They’re so excited — and so am I.”

As commencement speaker, Garcia plans to remind graduates that their journeys — no matter when they began — are worth celebrating.

“It doesn’t matter your age,” she said. “What matters is that you showed up, you worked hard, and you didn’t give up.”

More than 1,400 students are eligible to graduate during Amarillo College’s Spring commencement ceremonies. The 3 p.m. ceremony will include graduates in health sciences, industry and public service. A second ceremony at 7 p.m. will recognize graduates in business, computer information systems, creative arts, education, liberal arts and STEM fields. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.

Garcia said she hopes her message resonates far beyond the ceremony.

“Trust yourself. Push yourself,” she said. “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”