How Sobriety and a Promise Helped Albuquerque Student Toward a Medical Career

As a child in New Mexico, Carmen Calabaza rarely went anywhere without a toy medical kit.

She remembers carrying the pink-and-blue set everywhere. It came with a toy stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, and even pretend medical charts. When Head Start students were given the choice to dress up as animals or careers for Halloween, Carmen chose a nurse.

“It stuck pretty hard,” she said. “I remember it like it was yesterday.”

The dream followed her into adulthood, but life had other plans. Carmen put college on hold to care for her grandmother, honoring a promise she had made to her mother.

Years later, after both loved ones had passed, she found herself battling grief, alcohol addiction, and thoughts of giving up entirely.

Today, Carmen is more than a year sober, a graduate of United Education Institute’s Medical Assistant program in Albuquerque, and is continuing to pursue a healthcare career that she believes was always part of her purpose.

Along the way, she has fulfilled a promise she made to her mother and grandmother, building a future centered on helping others.

A Promise She Intended to Keep

Before returning to school, Carmen had spent years caring for her grandmother, putting her own educational goals on hold.

“My grandmother’s health was more important than my dreams,” Carmen said. “She was all I had, and I had made a promise to my mother that I would take care of my grandmother.”

When both had passed away, Carmen found herself struggling to navigate the loss.

“My purpose for staying here on earth was gone in the blink of an eye,” she said.

The grief eventually led her down a difficult path with alcohol. At her lowest point, she found herself sitting in a jail cell, reflecting on the promises she had made to the women who raised her.

“I thought of my grandmother and how I had promised her I wouldn’t take the same path as my mother,” Carmen said. “I broke that promise.”

But that moment also became a turning point.

Determined to rebuild her life, Carmen focused on sobriety and looked for ways to move forward. Returning to school was part of the plan.

“It was a way to keep me sober and start the process of fulfilling the promise I made to my mom and my grandma,” she said.

A Facebook and YouTube advertisement eventually led her to UEI in Albuquerque. There, she met admissions representative Justin Thurgood, whose encouragement left a lasting impression.

“I’ve never met a stranger who had so much faith in me based on my story,” Carmen said. “That faith really carried with me.”

She enrolled in the Medical Assistant program in June and immediately committed herself to the work.

Learning Through Service

Carmen quickly discovered that the hands-on nature of the Medical Assistant program matched the way she learns best.

“I’m a visual learner, and I like to learn with my hands,” she said. “They really took the time to show us how to do each procedure step by step.”

She credits instructors Ashley Martinez and Carla Romero for helping her develop confidence in the classroom.

“They explained things thoroughly where I would understand,” Carmen said. “Every problem I had, the instructors were always there to help.”

Beyond the coursework, she found a support system that helped her navigate challenges outside of school as well.

“There was a time when I was in a bind financially, and I was in a bind mentally,” she said. “Elaine Goodridge-Thomas had a lot of words of encouragement, and she put a lot of faith and hope into me.”

That support became especially meaningful as she worked to stay sober while balancing school, work, and everyday responsibilities.

“What I like about UEI is their network,” Carmen said. “How they can help their students, especially if their students find themselves in a bind.”

The experience reinforced something she had learned growing up as a member of the Kewa Pueblo tribe: the importance of community and helping others through difficult times.

Turning Experience into Purpose

One of the most influential parts of Carmen’s education came during her externship working at a methadone clinic.

Initially, she expected to be placed in a hospital setting. But instead, she found herself working with individuals who were battling addiction and working toward recovery. The experience immediately resonated with her.

“I really enjoyed helping the patients coming into those clinics,” Carmen said. “I started learning their names after meeting them for a day, and I remembered them as the important individuals they are.”

Working with this population also gave her a new perspective on how she might use her own experiences to help others.

“Drugs have made their way to reservations, and if I can learn more about treatments, I can take it back home and possibly to other reservations,” she said.

Today, Carmen is studying for her Certified Medical Assistant credential while working in a caregiving position. She hopes to eventually return to a clinical setting, possibly even the same methadone clinic where she completed her externship.

It’s all part of her long-term education, she says, which is a continuation of the lessons her mother and grandmother taught her years ago.

“They molded me to take care of others, to help them, and to show them never to give up,” Carmen said.

She admits the journey has been bittersweet.

“The sweet part is that I can fulfill my promise to them,” she said. “I can remind them that their faith is still with me and that I’m working to become a better person.”

“I now know my purpose here on earth,” she added. “Taking care of people was in my cards all along.”