Inspired by the Care Her Family Received, Jenny Valora Espinoza Aims to Help Others

As a five year old, Jenny Valora Espinoza fell while playing at the playground. 

She went to the emergency room where she got an X-ray of her arm. The imaging revealed that she had a hairline fracture.

In the middle of summer with a broken arm, she couldn’t play like she usually did.

Then at 10 years old, her dad had a stroke. During his recovery, Valora Espinoza went to many of his medical appointments. She observed as he went through rehabilitation at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

These childhood experiences stuck with her, and eventually influenced her to pursue a career in healthcare. 

“I was exposed to healthcare a lot as a kid. I wanted to be able to help others just like they were there for us,” she said.

Choosing Imaging Sciences at Nebraska Methodist College

Valora Espinoza chose Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) because her sister graduated from the College with a Bachelor of Science in Imaging Sciences.

“After I enrolled, I came to CARE Day and everyone was so welcoming. It felt like the right place for me. Everyone was super nice and helpful,” she said. 

CARE Day is an onboarding event for new students. Admitted students finalize their class schedule, learn about student support services, meet with financial aid and get their iPads set up.

Valora Espinoza is following in her sister’s footsteps and is enrolled in the imaging sciences program. As a medical imaging professional, she will administer radiation, primarily X-rays, for disease diagnosis and injury assessment.

She is considering specializing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 

Students in the imaging sciences program can specialize their degree with courses in computed tomography (CT), MRI or mammography.

Valora Espinoza, who is from Schuyler, NE, was drawn to MRI because her dad has had MRIs in his stroke recovery.

“Jenny Valora is undoubtedly one of the most focused radiography students I have had the privilege of teaching. She is extremely intelligent and inquisitive,” said Kate Rollins, radiology program director. “She is not content to merely memorize facts, she researched and studied until she fully understood the material. As a student, she is always prepared for class and frequently did more than was assigned. Her peers look up to her and she has taken on the role of leader within her cohort.”

Inspiring New and Prospective NMC Students 

Now in her second year at NMC, Valora Espinoza is an ambassador. NMC ambassadors participate in the recruitment of students and promotion of the College while gaining leadership and communication skills.

“The ambassadors at the CARE Day I attended were welcoming and told me how great NMC is. It gave me a sense of feeling like home and I knew I wanted to do that for other students,” she said.

Ambassadors attend new student events like CARE Day and admissions events for prospective students.

“Jenny has set high standards for herself, and will work as hard as necessary to achieve her goals. I have no doubt she will be an asset to the radiography profession. She prioritizes her course work while also carrying an outside workload and a prominent role as a NMC student ambassador,” Rollins said.

When she isn’t attending classes, studying, acting as an ambassador or completing clinicals, Valora Espinoza works as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Methodist Hospital. 

“Jenny is the type of student who knows how to maximize her educational experience. Whether it's in clinical where she is comfortable working with a variety of patients performing exams, being a resource to her peers or promoting the College through her work as an ambassador,” said Karin Bellows, assistant professor and clinical coordinator for radiologic technology and imaging sciences. “Jenny has been eager to learn from her first day in the program and continues to develop her skills that will ultimately set her up to be an amazing radiologic technologist.”