RAYMONDVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — One remarkable woman is using her passion and knowledge of nursing to help people in her community and beyond.

Joanna Posas, born in Lubbock and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, knew she always wanted to pursue a career in nursing.

Posas’ love for nursing led her to share her knowledge of the profession with students at Raymondville Early College High School.

“I did become a surgical tech first and I taught at TSTC for many years,” Posas said. “I loved it, but, I always knew that nursing was what I wanted to do which was going to be my career for the rest of my life.”

Posas works for the Raymondville Independent School District as a District Health Coordinator and continues to expand her current role.

“I wear many hats,” Posas said. “I’m District Health Coordinator, I teach in a CNA Program, I’m the program director.”

Posas’ passion to give a helping hand to her community strengthened when patients required prevention and urgent care during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She led vaccination efforts against the virus at Valley Baptist Medical Center COVID unit, administering a total of over 10,000 COVID-19 vaccines.

“I was thinking I need to do something for my own community because I see patients dying in the hospital and I didn’t want anybody to go through that,” Posas said.

The registered nurse recalls treating her patients like her own parents and children, educating people about the virus and how to prevent it from spreading.

Posas’ made it her mission to help her community and to get the early college school to open its doors for in-person instruction.

“I think all of us in the healthcare field had a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear [during the pandemic],” Posas said. “We dove right into it. We said you know what, we need to go back and help the community.”

The passionate District Health Coordindator aims to achieve her career goals, including earning her master’s degree.

“I feel like there’s so much more that I can do with a master’s,” Posas said. “I want to continue giving and continue working.”