LCCC Great Grads

Jessica Ortiz

Father is Inspiration for Lorain Woman to Finish Her Degree

When Jessica Ortiz walks across the stage during Commencement she’ll have a lot of family there cheering her on.  But one person who won’t be there is her father Pedro.

He will, however, be there in spirit. “I wish he was here, but I know he’ll be watching over the ceremony and is proud of my accomplishment,” Ortiz said.

She graduated from Lorain Southview High School in 1998 and came to LCCC that fall. “I always wanted to go to college,” Ortiz said.

Being the youngest of eight children she was close to her parents and especially her father. But when his health took a turn for the worse she quit attending LCCC after two years. “I had to spend many days at the hospital with him so I missed a lot of classes and had to withdraw,” Ortiz said.

In 2005 her father’s health improved enough that she was able to continue with her dream of earning a college degree.  He still had heart problems and diabetes and Ortiz helped take care of him when he came home, but she found the online courses at LCCC to be just what she needed to get her back on track for her degree while still being able to care for her dad.

“The Internet gave me the opportunity to take on-line classes and get going again on my degree,” she said.

She will earn her associate of applied business degree in May and plans to work in an administrative role in the health care field if possible. “Attending LCCC has been a great experience.  I’ve been able to do things I never thought I could do and have had wonderful support from my family, classmates and instructors,” Ortiz said. “And as the first college graduate in my family I’m extremely grateful for the support of my family.”

Though her father passed away in June of 2007, Ortiz felt he has always been with her encouraging her to earn her degree. “I feel good. We are a family of faith and I believe he helped me get through college and has gone home,” she said.

So when you hear the name Jessica Ortiz announced at graduation, know that her mother Carmen, five brothers, two sisters and a bunch of other relatives won’t be the only ones cheering her on. She’ll have a special cheering section above.