‘Leap of faith’ leads to bright future

NWTC grad earns bachelor’s degree from UW-Green Bay; now one step closer to becoming a doctor 

Adan Cordova is well on his way to reaching a long-time personal and professional goal – becoming a medical doctor.

His higher education journey started in 2019 with what he calls, a “leap of faith.” At the time, Cordova was 27, raising two boys with his now-fiancée, and working full-time in a Green Bay factory to support his family. The native of Honduras knew only a few English basics like, “Hello. How are you?” 

While working, he often thought of his mother back home who had raised Cordova and his two siblings on her own. 

“When I was a young boy, I saw my mother going to school while she was taking care of us.” Cordova said. “She kept telling me, ‘School is worth it. If you want to provide better for your family, you need to sacrifice some personal times.’” 

Inspired by his mother’s sacrifices and determination, Cordova decided to go after his own college goals. He started at NWTC by taking English language classes and enrolling in a one-year academic program. While that program ended up not being the right fit, he gained confidence in his abilities as a student and gained clarity on his future. 

An NWTC instructor encouraged Cordova to pursue his true career aspirations. 

“He told me, ‘You are a good student, and you work hard. I know you have some challenges like English, but believe in what you want to do. If you really want to do it, you'll do that.’ And then I found that I'm capable of at least trying,” Cordova said. 

With that realization, he enrolled in and completed NWTC’s Nursing Assistant technical diploma. He transferred to UW-Green Bay, earned a bachelor of science in Human Biology in May 2024, and was the university’s student commencement speaker. During his educational journey, he and his fiancée welcomed another son. 

Now, Cordova is preparing to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), a requirement for admission to medical school. Motivated by his three sons to soar higher toward his goals, Cordova is ready to take the next steps toward becoming a doctor. 

“It’s changing lives. Like giving another chance,” he said. “This is what I want to do.”

Fun Fact:

Adan Cordova, who is thinking of returning to NWTC in fall for the Emergency Medical Technician program, is one of many family members to attend the College. His mother is currently taking English classes. His two sisters, Idania and Pamela, graduated from NWTC in May. Idania earned the Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology associate degree and Pamela earned the Nursing associate degree. His father, his brother, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins have also attended NWTC! 

Q & A with Adan Cordova: 

What surprised you about your NWTC experience? 

It helped me to find there’s a way to try. In the beginning I wasn’t sure I was going to follow my main goal. But doing my first classes, talking with my professors, they’re telling me I am a good student, and you should try at least and see what happens. The classes helped me to be a successful student. Financially, there were a lot of programs. The financial aid office will help you to find either scholarships, work study, anything.

What is your favorite memory from your time as an NWTC student? 

My favorite memory is being around people with similar backgrounds. And they get me. They know what I’m going through because they’re going through the same. We get along very easily and talk about experience, work, family, and all those things.

What is your advice for future NWTC students? 

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. They might be very overwhelmed or believing they need to do it by themselves. That was me: “I should know what I want and what I'm doing. I'm in college, not high school anymore.” But don't think like that. You are there to study, to learn, and ask questions. Eventually in a few weeks, you’ll get used to everything. You'll be fine. Just trust the process. 
• Don’t be afraid to change programs. People are afraid to change programs or change majors. They say, “Oh, I'm a failure, I keep changing.” But, no, just do it. You're going to find something that you really want to do. NWTC has easy ways to change to a different program. 

What were your challenges when you started college? 

It was like a culture shock. Speaking English was not comfortable. The English classes at NWTC helped me improve. Being at NWTC and finding somebody with a similar background helped me. Knowing that we’re going through the same thing, trying to get an education.

Who and/or what inspired you to go into the medical profession? 

When I was a young boy, I saw my mother going to school while she was taking care of us. She kept telling me, “I want you to do better. Better than me.” Then my brother got epilepsy. I was helping my mom with him, giving him medication. Then he got better. And I found that I wanted to be a doctor. This is what I want to do – change somebody else’s life. It's not just helping people. It's like changing their life, you know? Like giving another chance.