Success Stories

Jonathan Alfaro

I am a 23 year-old graduate of St. Philip’s College’s Vocational Nursing Program. I am also a product and proud family member of Project QUEST.

I come from a family that survives paycheck to paycheck, making just enough to get by; a family where surviving was all that everything seemed to boil down to in the end.

After high school, I tried to go to school with the dream of one day being able to help people. Unfortunately, I never got anywhere because, somehow, “having to work” took up the majority of my time. Eventually, I was stuck working all the time, but it’s awesome how God works. It was through a co-worker that I got introduced to Project QUEST. I noticed how she would work and study on her free time with no worries. Finally, I asked her: “How do you do it?” She replied, “Project QUEST.” She then gave me a brochure, and I immediately followed up and initiated the enrollment process.

Thank you, Project QUEST, for helping to make my dreams a reality.

Michelyn Maxey

In June 2005, my family and I moved to San Antonio. I had always wanted to be a nurse, but as a military spouse, our frequent moves made attending school a challenge. In 2009, I decided that it was time for me to pursue my dream. I began taking my pre-requisite classes. By March of 2010, my situation in life had left me a single mother with three young children. At that time, I received my acceptance letter to the San Antonio College nursing program and decided to stay in San Antonio.

I had managed to save some money and was ready to start on my new journey. It was at nursing school orientation that I first heard about Project QUEST. I was immediately interested in the program and wanted to find out more. A year down the road, my financial situation had worsened. My savings had depleted, and I did not know how I would continue to pay for school. I thought about leaving school to save money and hopefully return to complete the nursing program later but knew it was imperative that I stay in school for a long-term change in my life and the lives of my three children. I had few options left, and it was at this time that Project QUEST came into my life and changed it forever.

Vincent Montalvo

When I first started Project QUEST, my counselor and I set a goal for myself. I believe that a goal keeps you focused on your primary mission and helps to structure your life. Goals also set the direction in which you move. Therefore, it’s important to have the right goals to move your life in the right direction, and I was blessed to have Project QUEST help me with mine. Not long after graduating from Project QUEST and from San Antonio College with my A.A.S. in Computer Network Administration, door after door began to open for me, and prayers were being answered. I was submitting my resume to multiple companies, and God soon opened the door that was the truest to my career goals. A company that I dreamed of working for when I first started the program with Project QUEST called me for an interview. Today, I am proud to say that I am not only a QUESTer but also a “Racker,” an employee of Rackspace.

My prayer is that my story, along with the stories of many other QUESTers, will continue to inspire and motivate others to keep Project QUEST a Legacy for the Future of our community and our great city of San Antonio!

Gary Rodriguez

Prior to participating in Project QUEST, my life was still coming together. I was lost and had just been found, meaning that I was soul-searching deep within myself and found that I wasn’t happy with where I was in life and where my life was heading. I was tired of dead-end, low-paying, minimal advancement jobs. I knew I needed to make a change quickly. The first step was dropping to my knees and praying to God to change my heart and open doors for me that no man could shut and to close other doors.

My experience as a “QUESTer” included interactions with many helpful employees at Project QUEST who I was blessed to meet. These people were helpful, persistent, encouraging, sincere, and always had my best interests in mind. The program also provided many resources if needed and helpful advice on topics such as good studying habits, personal health, money management, writing an appealing resume, and how to prepare for an interview. All these tips helped to prepare me for life after Project QUEST.