Austin Community College District (ACC) honors our students’ incredible achievements at the upcoming Spring 2024 Commencement. More than 3,000 are invited to the ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, May 17, at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. 

Among the students we are proud to celebrate is Lorenzo Celli-Vargas, a shining example of the transformative power of education. Lorenzo’s journey began in high school, where he took dual credit courses at ACC. His path led him to ACC through the college’s partnership with Capital IDEA, a program that offers personalized assistance and support to eligible students.

Hear more about his journey below.

Written by: Lorenzo Celli-Vargas

My name is Lorenzo Celli-Vargas. I am in level four of Austin Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing Program and set to graduate this May. I was born and raised in Austin, and I’m proud to call myself an ACC nursing student. Being a nurse has been my dream since high school. My passion for health and wellness and the drive to care for others is what motivated me to pursue this career. I am so happy to finally be taking the next step in making my dream come true, and I am grateful for the education I received at ACC.

During my time at ACC, I served as a student representative for the nursing curriculum committee and participated in the Associates Degree Nursing Student Association (ADNSA), which I had the honor to lead as its President this past year. These experiences allowed me to hone my leadership and communication skills, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I worked closely with ACC faculty and my fellow students across all three nursing campuses and made a difference in my local community by leading and participating in community service projects. It’s been an honor serving ACC nursing students and the local community, and I’m eager to continue doing so in and out of my profession.

My schooling was helped made possible by Capital IDEA. Capital IDEA is a nonprofit organization that partners with local employers looking to find skilled professionals to fill essential healthcare, technology, and trades roles. They paid for 100% of my tuition, textbooks, and helped cover other expenses as well! I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without the support from my coordinators, Tonia and Lori, and Capital IDEA’s senior employer coordinator, Ron Modesty. Thanks to them, I also have a promising career lined up as a registered nurse on Dell Seton’s intermediate care floor! I will forever be grateful for the opportunity Capital IDEA provided me and encourage anyone pursuing nursing or other degrees they cover to look into joining their organization!

I would like to end this by extending thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way. Thank you to my parents for loving me through thick and thin and always being there for me. Thank you to my classmates, whom I now call friends, for having my back in tough times. Thank you to the wonderful professors I had who always believed in my success. Thank you to Capital IDEA for making my dream come true. And one last thank you to Sydney Pruitt for allowing me to share my story with you! I hope to inspire others to be proud of themselves and share their journey along the way. Thank you for reading, and please take care!

Tags: Capital IDEA, commencement, Dual Credit, nursing, Spring 2024 Commencement, Spring 2024 Grads, Spring 2024 Graduation, spring commencement