From troubled past to dual master’s grad

April 30, 2025 – DENTON – Vivian Orellana has a distinct childhood memory. She was 13 years old and her grandmother had officially adopted her and her younger siblings after years of fighting for custody.

 “I remember that because they asked me if I wanted to change my last name and I was like, ‘absolutely,’” Orellana said. “I want to have my grandmother’s last name. She’s the one that is fighting for us, she’s the one pushing for us. Why wouldn’t I continue her name?”

Orellana endured a traumatic childhood. Her mother struggled with drugs and was a fleeting presence in her life. There were brief stays in foster care, many trips to court and long car rides to visit her mother in prison. Life became more stable after the Orellena siblings moved in permanently with their grandmother.

Orellana’s grandmother, Maria, will be wearing a bright yellow dress at Orellana’s commencement on Sunday, May 4 in Houston. Orellana is graduating from Texas Woman’s Houston with a dual Master of Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration (MHA/MBA) degree with an emphasis in global health.

“If my grandmother hadn’t adopted us, I wouldn’t have been able to have the opportunity of being a first generation going to college,” Orellana said. “The first one out of my family to graduate high school and then I was the first one to go to college. And, then here I am going to get a master’s.”

Growing up, Orellana was a self-described troubled child who was frequently in detention or getting suspended from school. Her grandmother often sat behind her in class in middle school to induce good behavior. 

“I remember I was in high school and I honestly had no future for myself,” Orellana said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was just waiting to graduate.”

A brief “hey, did you know” conversation with a high school counselor her senior year alerted Orellana to the fact that she could apply for a state college tuition waiver because she was adopted. She knew she could not turn down the opportunity and college proved to be a life-changing experience.

“Truly, I was a whole different person,” Orellana said about her transformation in college. “The way I carried myself, the way I talked, the way I was more confident with myself. There was so much out there than what we were given.”

After brief struggles, she grew to enjoy her classes at Sam Houston State and explored clubs, including Future Farmers of America (FFA). An animal lover, she always had a dream of being a veterinarian. She majored in animal science and realized she loved the biology courses in her program. 

“I didn't know there were so many different opportunities and things to do,” Orellana said.

After college, she worked for several years as a veterinary technician. With that experience, she was able to get her foot in the door at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with a vet tech position. Now a research assistant, she still works with animals, but is more involved with cancer research. She started doing clinical work with patients and became more aware of the different types of research. 

“Being there with patients, it breaks my heart,” Orellana said. “We try to explain what we are doing and the research that we are doing and how it can benefit them.”

Those clinical experiences led her to seek out Texas Woman’s and its dual MHA/MBA program. 

“I think being at TWU has helped me become more knowledgeable and diverse than what I was before,” Orellana said. “There is still so much out there that I still don’t know. It is continuing to open new worlds.”

With her program mostly online, Orellana relished the opportunities to meet her classmates in person at events and on study abroad trips. She served as the Student Healthcare Administration Organization president for the Houston chapter and traveled internationally for the first time to Canada with her classmates. 

Over the past few years, Orellana has built a community of people around her. She is looking forward to what lies ahead, perhaps working for a non-profit and doing more community outreach.

“Looking back, I am proud of what has led to me where I am now, and I am thankful for my grandmother for always being there.”