By Melissa Vasquez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Four years ago, Quincie Gomez did not recognize the girl standing in front of the mirror as she struggled with a substance use disorder.  

She thought she would never overcome it.  

Today, she says, with the help of divine assistance and her belief in herself, Gomez has beat her addiction and on Dec. 13 became the first graduate to earn a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies from the UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling.  

“Being the first graduate from UTRGV with this degree is something that I will always hold close to my heart. It has truly opened so many doors for success in my life,” she said. 

The Harlingen native said pursuing this degree was her true calling in life.  

“This substance use disorder had numerous negative effects in my educational, professional and personal life. Looking into the mirror, I did not even recognize the girl staring back at me. And, I had no intention of changing.  

“It was not until I received salvation that was freely given to me by Jesus Christ that I was able to overcome this substance abuse and so many other things in my life,” she said.  

Now that Gomez has her degree, she plans to register with the state as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern, which is the initial step to obtain licensure to work in substance abuse treatment. She also plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling to eventually become a Licensed Professional Counselor.  

Gomez’s first major at UTRGV was rehabilitation services with a concentration in addiction studies, but she was able to transition seamlessly and change her major to addiction studies in fall 2018.  

She completed her final semester coursework in addiction studies, which included a 300-hour practicum at the Palmer Drug Abuse Program. 

“My experience in this program has truly been amazing and empowered me. All of the staff at UTRGV provided so much support and encouragement throughout my entire undergraduate program and assisted me in achieving all the goals that I set for myself,” she said. 

The bachelor’s in addiction studies program at UTRGV is primarily online. The program’s mission is to prepare students to become addiction counseling specialists who will enter the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment and help people overcome addictions and start living healthy, independent lives.  

“Because the program was fully online, I was able not only to be a full-time student, but also a full-time worker,” Gomez said. “This program challenged me in so many positive ways, and I truly believe that it provided me with a great stepping stone in my career as a counselor.”