Making the decision to pursue a college degree can be daunting but also immensely fulfilling. Being the first in one’s family to earn a college degree can make this achievement all the more significant. These first-time graduates serve as examples to their loved ones of their capabilities to lead their own chosen lives. For the Jimenez family, the achievement of being first-generation graduates is one that spans two generations.
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) presently has five health professions schools: Feik School of Pharmacy, Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions, Rosenberg School of Optometry, School of Rehabilitation Sciences and School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM). It is through the University’s emphasis on critical thinking, holistic approaches and clinical experience that UIW prepares the next generations of healthcare providers to serve their local and global communities. One of these remarkable future healthcare practitioners is Denise Vera Nemeth, a UIWSOM’s Spring 2025 graduate.
We just had an amazing showing during the 2025 Unified College Championship Week. For the first time ever, our Special Olympics College Club—led by Dr. Emily Dow—won the South Division and finished 8th out of 30 schools nationwide!