{"id":52542,"date":"2026-07-14T12:56:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/?p=52542"},"modified":"2026-07-14T12:56:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:56:06","slug":"built-for-whats-next-acc-esol-student-aiden-gong-overcomes-language-barriers-to-pursue-a-nursing-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/2026\/07\/14\/built-for-whats-next-acc-esol-student-aiden-gong-overcomes-language-barriers-to-pursue-a-nursing-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Built for What\u2019s Next: ACC ESOL Student Aiden Gong Overcomes Language Barriers to Pursue a Nursing Career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cACC built me for what’s next by giving me space to grow into someone I honestly never thought I could become before. Through tutoring, nursing coaching, student employment, and the support of people around me, ACC helped me discover strengths I did not know I had.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Aiden Gong first enrolled at Austin Community College District (ACC), he wasn’t sure college was meant for someone like him. After spending nearly a decade in the workforce, the 34-year-old returned to school following the pandemic, looking for a new direction. English was his biggest challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I took the TSI English assessment three times but still did not reach the college-ready level, and the ESOL program gave me a pathway to improve my English and complete the TSI requirement.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His first days on campus were filled with uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I still remember after my first class, the professor mentioned an ‘assignment,’ and I did not even know what that word meant. Later, I asked another student, and they explained that it meant homework. That moment showed me how much I still had to learn.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Aiden is a Level 3 Nursing student, works at ACC’s Highland Campus Welcome Center helping new students navigate college, and plans to become a public health nurse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I first saw the ACC billboard that said, ‘ACC is for everyone,’ it caught my attention, but at first I thought it might just be a slogan. After becoming a student here, I realized ACC truly means it. ACC welcomed me as an immigrant, a non-native English speaker, a first-generation college student, and an adult learner returning to school later in life.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That support became especially important as he pursued nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Nursing Program is challenging for any student, but learning nursing in a second language made it even harder for me. Sometimes I needed extra time to understand medical terminology, lectures, reading assignments, and exam questions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One experience that left a lasting impression came during English Composition I when he brought a draft essay to ESOL professor and tutor Kevin MacKie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Instead of making me feel embarrassed, Kevin first helped me see that my ideas and structure were strong. Then we worked sentence by sentence to make my writing clearer. That support helped me improve not only my grammar, but also my confidence in expressing my thoughts in English.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Aiden started the ACC Nursing Program, ACC’s support continued. He worked with Highland Campus Nursing Success Coach Jayme Moore, who helped him navigate the academic challenges of nursing school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Jayme helped me strengthen my test-taking strategies, understand difficult nursing concepts, and build confidence learning nursing in a second language. She taught me how to slow down, read exam questions carefully, and trust myself instead of overthinking.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the classroom, ACC supported him in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As a first-generation college student, balancing school, work, finances, and daily responsibilities can be extremely stressful. There were times when the ACC food pantry took real pressure off my shoulders. It provided groceries, snacks, drinks, hygiene products, and even holiday support like Thanksgiving turkeys. Those things may seem small to some people, but for students going through difficult periods, they make a huge difference.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through his work at the Welcome Center, Aiden is helping students facing the same fears he once had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“At the Welcome Center, I meet many students who feel anxious or overwhelmed about college. Sometimes they need more than information. They need someone patient who will listen, guide them step by step, and reassure them that they are capable of succeeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNursing feels very similar in that way. Patients are often scared, uncertain, or vulnerable, and healthcare is not only about technical skills or medical knowledge. It is also about helping people feel respected, heard, and supported.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing his Associate Degree Nursing Program, Aiden plans to continue into ACC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As someone who experienced language barriers and uncertainty myself, I understand how intimidating it can feel to ask for help or navigate unfamiliar systems. I want to work with communities that are often overlooked and help people feel respected, supported, and heard instead of ignored.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked how ACC prepared him for what’s next, Aiden points to the confidence he found along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cACC taught me the value of community, service, and helping others during difficult moments. I think the biggest thing ACC gave me was not only education. It gave me belief in myself. For someone who spent a long time doubting himself, that changed the direction of my life.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an ESOL student learning what an “assignment” was to a future nurse, his journey reflects the power of persistence, community, and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information on nursing, visit austincc.edu\/nursing<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cACC built me for what’s next by giving me space to grow into someone I honestly never thought I could become before. Through tutoring, nursing coaching, student employment, and the support of people around me, ACC helped me discover strengths I did not know I had.\u201d When Aiden Gong first enrolled at Austin Community College […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":52543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1605,1598,1606,148],"class_list":["post-52542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-bfwn","tag-built-for-whats-next","tag-esol","tag-nursing","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52544,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52542\/revisions\/52544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/infohub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}