MC grad’s career combines childhood dreams of teaching and healthcareJanuary 25, 2022

As a child in Stanton, TX, Heather Escobedo suffered pneumonia and related breathing issues.  She said that she never forgot those “heroes” who probably saved her life.

“My mother was a teacher, and growing up, I remember thinking that I wanted to be a teacher like my mom or work in healthcare like the people who helped me through childhood breathing problems,” Escobedo recalled.  “But then life got in the way.  Instead of going to college, I got a job working at Sam’s.  I was there for 13 years, working my way up the career ladder from cashier to outside sales to supervisor.  However, as a single mother, I really wanted a career where I could provide a better future for my two children.”

Remembering the healthcare professionals who helped her when she was a child, Escobedo decided to enroll in Midland College’s Respiratory Care program and graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in 2007.  

“I loved being a respiratory therapist,” Escobedo said.  “I worked at Midland Memorial Hospital for just over 9 years—from 2007-2017.”

In 2017, Escobedo was offered a position to fulfill the other part of her childhood dream—teaching.  For two years, she taught 9th-12th graders in Ector County ISD’s healthcare academy.

“I had taught CPR to adults previously, but never taught youth,” Escobedo said.  “I found that I really enjoyed teaching and seemed to have a knack for it.  In fact, I would have stayed with Ector County ISD.  Even though we lived in Midland and I had to drive back and forth between Midland and Odessa every day, I really enjoyed working with the students, and I wasn’t looking to change jobs.”

Escobedo explained that her current job as Midland ISD Health Academy Coordinator and adjunct professor in the Midland College/Midland ISD College & Careers Health Science Academy just “fell in her lap.”

“I was with my daughter at a Midland ISD parent night, and we found out about the Health Sciences Academy,” she said.  “It was also mentioned that the program was looking for a coordinator and instructors.  The job sounded pretty much like what I was doing in Odessa.  So, I applied, and the next thing I knew, I had the job.”

Escobedo now works at both Midland Freshman High School and Legacy Freshman High School.  She recruits students into the College & Careers Health Sciences Academy, coordinates curriculum, reviews and approves applications, coordinates the dual credit application process for the Academy and teaches Intro to Health & Wellness and Intro to Health Professions to 9th graders.

“Most high school teachers prefer to teach in the higher grades, but I really get a lot of satisfaction in teaching the younger students,” she explained.  “They have no clue about all the various professions in healthcare.  All they know are doctors and nurses.  I have an opportunity to open their minds and introduce them to ALL healthcare professions.  In addition to covering health careers, the classes also focus on body systems.”

Most days, Escobedo is at Midland Freshman in the mornings and Legacy Freshman in the afternoons.  She is passionate about the College & Careers Health Sciences Academy program.

“We tell students about the Health Sciences Academy during the spring of their 8th-grade year,” she said.  “It’s amazing how many people don’t know about the program, and it’s such a great opportunity!  

“Students are able to take Health Sciences academy courses from 9th grade through 12th grade.  It’s a dual credit program, and Midland ISD pays the tuition.  Students can graduate from high school with a Midland College certificate in Health Sciences and take the state board exams for patient care technician, which includes certifications in certified nurse aide, phlebotomist and ECG technician.  They can also take certification/licensure exams in EMT and pharmacy technician.  Once they graduate from high school, they are immediately employable in a high-demand career field and have a background to continue their education in healthcare if they choose.”

In addition to teaching and coordinating the Midland ISD Health Sciences Academy, Escobedo keeps up her respiratory therapy skills by working at Encompass Health part-time, usually every other Saturday.  

In 2008, she married her husband Alex who is a hydraulics mechanic.  Their blended family consists of five children—the youngest of whom is a senior at Legacy High School—and three grandchildren.