“ DCB was flexible, helpful, understanding, and motivating. Going to college and continuing my education is by far the best decision I made for my daughter and for myself...”
As a child growing up in Lakota, North Dakota, Mahalia Cruz knew she wanted to work in health care. “When I was 11, I wanted to be a pediatrician, but when I found out schooling takes an average of 13 years, I thought nursing would be a better fit,” said Mahalia. She enrolled in the nursing program at Dakota College at Bottineau in 2016, but her career goals soon took another path. “I got interested in the business side of health care, so I switched to the medical administrative assistant program. My ultimate career goal is to be a hospital administrator.”
Family and finances both played a role in Mahalia’s choice of Dakota College at Bottineau. “I always wanted to go to college, as no one in my family ever had. But as a foster child and single mom, I didn’t have the financial resources for college. I was amazed and so grateful when I found out that grants would cover my tuition. So affordability was a big factor for me.”
Mahalia appreciated the mentorship and guidance provided by DCB instructors. “My advisor and professor, Russ Gagnon, was a huge mentor and a source of guidance during my time at DCB. He offered education information, shared his experiences, and he always wanted the best for not only me, but other students as well. Professor Keri Keith, who taught quite a few of my classes, was an absolute joy. She was a strong teacher with a heart of gold. I enjoyed her classes and even asked her to be a professional reference when I graduated from DCB. Those two and their teachings have stuck with me as I’ve continued my education and started on my health care career.”
The option of being able to take classes on campus and online was important to Mahalia, as a full-time student and mother of 
Her experience in online education at DCB served her well as she graduated from the University of Mary in April 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in health care administration earned through their online program. She’s recently been accepted into the university’s master’s program in business administration with a specialization in health care.
Mahalia’s job as an eligibility worker for Benson County Social Services in Fort Totten is giving her hands-on experience with health care administration. “I’m responsible for what we call ‘presearch,’ which means going through our programs to find all of the information needed for the interview process, conducting the interview, and verifying all information provided. Then I register the application and finalize all information needed to process the case. It’s a lot of very detailed work, but the more I do it, the more comfortable I’m becoming with the process.”
Mahalia sees her education as not only a foundation for her career, but also an inspiration to her daughter, now 4 1/2 years old. “Dakota College was the perfect fit for me as my daughter was seven weeks old when I started school and two when I finished. DCB was flexible, helpful, understanding, and motivating. Going to college and continuing my education is by far the best decision I made for my daughter and for myself. It has opened a world of opportunity for us and I am thankful for my education every day. There is one thing that can never be taken from you, and that is your education. Educate yourself, use your education, and remember that it is something unique to you that can never be taken away. It's worth it.”