Carolina Huerta never stopped pursuing her dreams of becoming a nurse and passion for education. And she makes sure her students follow suit.

For the past three decades, Huerta has educated a myriad of nurses throughout the Rio Grande Valley and pushed them to go beyond receiving their bachelor's degree.

The Rio Grande City native said she decided to teach at the University of Texas-Pan American right after graduating from Incarnate Word College (now University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio) in 1971 because she enjoyed it and wanted to give back to her community.

Huerta herself earned a master's and doctorate degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, while teaching students, raising a family and working as a psychiatric nurse.

"I saw the need for myself to get educated. You've got to go and get it," said Huerta, who has been chairwoman of the University of Texas-Pan American's nursing department since 1992.

From the minute she started teaching the university's associate degree program, Huerta pushed for higher degrees and more opportunities for students.

"I said I'd like to see more baccalaureate degrees because (students) can't move forward without it," she said.

During her tenure, Huerta has seen the university's nursing program grow from offering associate degrees to nearly 80 students a year to having more than 100 students in the bachelor's program and about 80 students in the master's program. UTPA closed its associate degree program in 2000.

The university also has a 93 percent pass rate of students taking the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's licensure exams, called the NCLEX.

Her dedication to making sure her students receive the best education goes beyond the classroom. Huerta served on committees that led to the UTPA nursing program's accreditation. She now serves on the national accreditation committee.

Earlier this year Huerta received the prestigious American Nurses Association's 2008 Mary E. Mahoney Award for her work in advancing opportunities in nursing to students in the Rio Grande Valley.

"I do it four our students. I'm very competitive. I want (UTPA) to be like everybody else in the nation," she said.

But there's much more that needs to be done, she said.

Though the program is growing, it still is not producing enough nurses to fill the need in the Valley, Huerta said.

A big part of that is the lack of professors for the program, she said. To remain a high-quality program, she said, the university has to offer a small teacher-to-student ratio.

"We're under the gun. (There is a) push to increase the numbers, but it's hard to product enough quality nurses, good quality, who can pass the test," she said.

Fellow professors and students said the nursing program has thrived under Huerta's leadership.

Sandy Sanchez, a professor of nursing, said Huerta was instrumental in expanding the nursing program from offering an associate degree to offering masters programs. The students' high scores on state and national board exams also shows that the nursing program has thrived under Huerta's leadership.

"She has guided the department in the right direction," Sanchez said.

Jesica Rodriguez, a junior at UTPA majoring in nursing and a former student of Huerta's, said Huerta was always attentive to her class and encouraged them to go further with their education.

"As soon as you walk in she makes you feel like she knows you. By the second time I met her she knew my name," Rodriguez said.

Huerta always made sure she had one-on-one time with her students and always gave feedback when she graded assignments, Rodriguez said.

"She'd make sure you got the best out of her," Rodriguez said.

If it wasn't for a telephone call from Huerta in 1992, Janie Cantu-Cabrera would not be where she is today.

Cantu-Cabrera, a former student of Huerta's who now is a nursing professor at UTPA and a forensic nurse examiner, said it was Huerta who encouraged her to earn her master's and doctorate degrees.

Huerta was always there for her when she needed a pep talk and a push forward.

"She not my mom but she's like the next best thing," Cantu-Cabrera said. "I wanted to give up many times and for bad reasons. She was the spark, she sparked my fire."

Many in the nursing profession in the Rio Grande Valley owe their careers to Huerta because she challenged them to go further with their education, she said.

"The world in the Valley is healthier because of her," Cantu-Cabrera said.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.