GOD, FAMILY, AND EDUCATION.

by Pilar Yates Brumbaugh

Francisco and Irma Quiñónez had many dreams and aspirations for their children, and education was always a top priority, and going to college to receive an undergraduate degree was no exception. In fact, not going to college was never a possibility. When their daughters, Bianayla ’20 and Julissa ’20, began looking at four-year colleges, it was truly a family affair.

A college education means different things to different people. To first-generation students, Bianayla and Julissa, having a college education meant getting a good job, having a successful future, good income, and a better life for her and her family. For both, the ultimate goal was to make their parents proud.

Bianayla remembers, “for the longest time, getting a college education wasn’t for me, but it was for them.”

Bianayla and Julissa narrowed down the things that were important to them like small class sizes, small student to teacher ratio, community, and access to various resources to help students succeed; and they found it at QU. Their parent's opinion was equally important. So knowing that their parents felt at peace, confident in the decision, and felt that the campus and community were safe helped to solidify their choice to attend QU. While going to the same college was never part of the plan for the Quiñónez sisters, they wouldn’t have it any other way. While being a part of a small, liberal arts school provides students with a sense of community; it was special being able to go through the triumphs, struggles, successes, accomplishments, and even the defeats together. While Bianayla had two years of community college experience under her belt, both women had a period of adjustment as they acclimated to campus life. Besides common adjustments, they went through a bit of culture shock. Coming from Rochelle, Ill., where there is more of a Hispanic presence in the community, and raised in a traditional Mexican household, they both had to make some lifestyle adjustments. With change came a sense of adventure and excitement. They immersed themselves in the campus community by getting involved in various extracurricular

activities and community service projects Both women took advantage of the opportunity to try new things and step into leadership roles.

The sisters had several things that motivated them while they finished their degrees. Knowing what their parents sacrificed and that they truly believed in them, kept them going. Francisco and Irma were the sisters' biggest cheerleaders. They constantly called to check-in, share words of encouragement, and prayed for each of them and their futures.

Their family motto, “God. Family. (And most importantly) Education above anything else” served as a constant motivation to both girls.

Francisco and Irma, taught Binayla and Julissa to approach life with determination, self-motivation, and self-discipline. So while they wanted to make their parents proud, they had ambitions they wanted to achieve for themselves and their future.

“I pushed through when life got tough, and I didn’t give up.

Julissa noticed she grew in work ethic, values, morals, and being tested in different ways.

“I now understand that having a college education is far more than classroom education you receive,” said Julissa. “Whether it is the experiences you encounter, people you meet with different perspectives, you are changing as a person and growing. College was far more than taking classes and learning material.”

Now that finals are completed, and Bianayla and Julissa have graduated from Quincy University, having accomplished their dreams, and earning their degree means so much more to them than either of them could have ever imagined.

Bianayla has graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing with a minor in Spanish. Through QU's partnership with Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences, she was able to experience various departments at the hospital. Following her longtime dream of becoming a neonatal nurse, she has recently accepted a job at a level three NICU in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and plans to continue working towards becoming a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. She is looking forward to the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the nurses who helped her mother and her when she was an infant in the NICU.

Julissa plans to continue her education at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine as she pursues her dreams of joining or even opening a dental practice. She is looking forward to having the opportunity to live out the Franciscan values that she has learned to live by during her time at QU by focusing on providing public healthcare for the underserved in her community. After looking back on the impact that so many people made on her life that helped her get to where she is today, she wants to be able to help the people around her and make a difference in their lives.