September 21, 2026
When Grisela Somerville first came to 91福利, she was simply trying to find her way.
She had moved to the United States from Guatemala City as an adult and was learning how to navigate a new country, a new community and an educational system completely different from the one she had known before.
She did not have family nearby other than her husband. She had a self-proclaimed 鈥渟trong accent.鈥� She had questions.
What she found at Pearl River were people willing to help her find the answers.
More than a decade later, Somerville is still at The River. Only now, she is many times the person on the other side of the desk helping someone else figure out where to go next.
鈥淚 came here looking for an education, but along the way I found a community, people who believed in me, and eventually a career that I truly love,鈥� Somerville said.
Her story is a fitting example of what it means to be Living My Legacy at Pearl River, not simply building a life for yourself, but using what you have learned and received to help someone coming after you.
Finding Her Place at The River
Somerville earned her GED in 2011 and enrolled at PRCC in 2012 as a nontraditional student.
Before her first fall semester even began, she participated in the TRIO Student Support Services Summer Bridge program. For someone learning an unfamiliar college system, the experience proved invaluable. The Summer Bridge gave her the opportunity to take classes, become familiar with campus, learn college processes and, maybe most importantly, learn where to turn when she needed help.
鈥淏ecause there were fewer students on campus during the summer, everything felt less intimidating,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淏y the time fall started, I didn鈥檛 feel completely lost.鈥�
That feeling mattered.
Students arrive at Pearl River from every imaginable background. Some are the first in their families to attend college. Some are returning to the classroom after years away. Some are balancing jobs, children and responsibilities their classmates may never see.
For Somerville, there seemed to be someone waiting at nearly every turn willing to lend a hand and make her feel like taking on this endeavor was something she could not just do but find success in.
She remembers Tonia Moody in Admissions being patient and welcoming as she navigated the enrollment process. TRIO Student Support Services became a foundation throughout her college experience, and she also leaned heavily on services available through the PRCC Library.
鈥淲hat I discovered was that the kindness I experienced was not limited to a single department or person,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淭hroughout my years at Pearl River, as both a student and later an employee, I have met so many people who were willing to guide me, teach me, or simply say, 鈥楲et me help you figure this out.鈥欌��
Building Confidence One Milestone at a Time
With each semester, Somerville鈥檚 confidence grew.
She loved learning and found that every class she finished became proof that she could succeed in a system that once felt confusing. She became involved in Phi Theta Kappa and honor societies, and the recognition she received for her accomplishments held special meaning. As a nontraditional student who had come to the United States from another country, each milestone helped replace uncertainty with confidence.
One of her favorite memories will always be graduation.
In 2014, Somerville walked across the field and received her first associate degree from Pearl River.
鈥淚 did it!鈥� she remembers thinking.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just about receiving a degree,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淔or me, it represented everything it took to get there. Pearl River gave me the resources to succeed, but the people also made me feel that my success mattered to them. That is something I have never forgotten.鈥�
There had been difficult nights along the way. When asked what helped her make it through studying and tests, Somerville had an immediate answer.
鈥淐offee! Definitely coffee!鈥� she said with a laugh.
But beneath her laughter and jokes was something that meant more than all the Macchiatos in the world could ever measure up to.
Somerville had built a career in Guatemala, and when she came to the United States, she wanted to prove to herself that she could build something here too. She also thought about her children and the example she wanted to set for them.
鈥淪o on those difficult nights, I was not just studying for the next test,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淚 was working toward the life and career I wanted. And now, when I look back, I can say all those late nights, and all that coffee, were worth it.鈥�
From Student to Employee
Somerville鈥檚 graduation would not mark the end of her Pearl River story. In many ways, it was only the beginning. After earning her degree, then-TRIO Director Dr. Robert Escudero gave Somerville an opportunity to work in the department as a work-study student.
鈥淪omebody was giving me a chance,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think that is where my professional journey at Pearl River really began.鈥�
Other opportunities followed.
Dr. Tara Rouse helped connect Somerville with an opportunity to become a Zumba instructor through the Wellness Center. Later, Dr. Candace Harper recognized Somerville鈥檚 strengths with reports and data and helped her develop confidence in abilities Somerville had not always recognized in herself. In 2018, Harper hired Somerville as a full-time Pearl River employee in the campus bookstore.
鈥淭hat was a dream come true for me and a major turning point in my career,鈥� Somerville said.
Somerville had once sat in classrooms hoping she could build a career in her new home. Now she was building that career at the very institution that had helped her believe she could.
Coming Full Circle With TRIO
Eventually, Somerville鈥檚 professional journey brought her back to where much of her Pearl River story had begun. When longtime TRIO Administrative Assistant Cindy Tanguis left PRCC for another opportunity, she encouraged Somerville to consider the position. With encouragement from colleagues including Haley Amacker and Carlette Bonnette, Somerville pursued the opportunity.
In 2023, Somerville was hired back into TRIO Student Support Services.
Today, Somerville serves as the program鈥檚 Administrative Assistant under Director Jennifer Cottrell. Her work includes the records, reports, paperwork and processes that help keep the federally funded student support program operating successfully. But some of her favorite responsibilities are much simpler. A student walks through the door and does not know who their advisor is. Someone cannot find an office. Another student has no idea which department can answer a question. Sometimes, Somerville jokes, they just need to know where the bathroom is.
鈥淚f I can make someone feel a little less lost and point them in the right direction, I鈥檓 happy to do it because I remember being that student myself,鈥� she said.
There is something beautifully full circle about that.
PRCC’s mission is accomplished in classrooms and laboratories, through degrees earned, certificates completed and graduates placed into careers. But sometimes the mission looks like a person behind a desk recognizing the uncertainty on a student’s face because she once wore the same expression herself. Somerville knows firsthand what can happen when a student is surrounded by people who refuse to let confusion, fear or unfamiliarity become the end of the story. Now she gets to be one of those people for the students coming through the doors of her building.
鈥淲hat I love most about being an employee at Pearl River is having the opportunity to give back some of what was given to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s a student, I found that people here did not just answer my questions. They taught me, guided me, and helped me become more confident and independent. Now I try my best to give that same kind of support to someone else.鈥�
The People Who Helped Shape Her Journey
Somerville is quick to point out throughout her interview that she did not reach this point alone. At different stages of her journey, mentors helped her recognize what was possible and build confidence in herself along the way.
Dr. Robert Escudero gave her the first opportunity to work within TRIO, while Dr. Candace Harper became one of her most important professional mentors, recognizing Somerville鈥檚 strengths and encouraging her professional growth. Somerville still carries one piece of Harper鈥檚 advice with her today: 鈥淭here is nothing that can鈥檛 be fixed.鈥�
Now, working alongside TRIO Director Jennifer Cottrell, Somerville continues to learn and grow while doing the same for the students the program serves. And while she can name countless other colleagues, teachers and friends who have touched her life at Pearl River, narrowing the list is nearly impossible.
鈥淭here are honestly so many people that I am afraid to start naming them because I know I will accidentally leave someone out,鈥� Somerville said.
It could be that that says something important about her Pearl River experience in itself. Her success was never tied to only one office, one department or one person. It was built through a community that PRCC hopes all students experience as they make their way through Wildcat Country.
No matter what campus a student chooses to take their classes on or what circumstances have led them to pursuing their education at The River, the community that has been fostered in the Wildcat Family is here and ready to lend a hand if they are willing to take it.
A Legacy That Became Generational
Somerville鈥檚 Pearl River legacy did not stop with her own education or career.
Both her son and daughter attended PRCC before moving on to successful careers of their own. What began with one woman arriving at Pearl River unsure of how to navigate college became something generational. And that is one of the most powerful things about a community college education. Success rarely stops with the person whose name is printed on the diploma. One person’s opportunity becomes another person’s encouragement, and the impact continues moving outward.
For Somerville, that ripple has stretched from Guatemala to Mississippi, from student to employee and from one generation of her family to another.
Living Her Legacy
Today, Somerville can sit at a Pearl River Professional Development event and look around the room not as the new student trying to understand where she belongs, but as a longtime member of the Wildcat family. She watches employees receive recognition for 10, 15, 20 or even 35 years of service and looks forward to the day her own milestone is called. She listens to PRCC President Dr. Adam Breerwood speak and remembers meeting him years ago when he was serving as Vice President and she was still beginning her journey.
Those moments remind her how far she has come.
鈥淚 remember how kind and approachable Dr. Breerwood was,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淣ow I sit at Professional Development as an employee listening to his message, and that full-circle feeling makes me very proud to say, 鈥業 work for 91福利.鈥欌��
For the nontraditional student wondering whether it is too late to begin, Somerville has a message. Begin anyway.
鈥淒o not let your age, fear, or the fact that you have been away from school stop you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is okay if you do not yet know how everything works. I certainly did!鈥�
Ask questions. Use the resources available. Allow people to help. Take the journey one class, one assignment and one semester at a time.
鈥淵ou may come to Pearl River looking for a degree and discover confidence, opportunities, friendships, and a future you did not expect,鈥� Somerville said. 鈥淚 know I did.鈥�
Somewhere along her journey, Pearl River became family.
People helped her feel that she mattered. They opened doors. They recognized abilities in her before she always recognized them in herself. They gave her opportunities to learn, work and grow.
Now, when the next student walks through the door feeling a little overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin, Somerville is there. She helps them find their way.
That is the legacy that she has built for herself.
And every day at The River, she is living it.
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Article by Alexx Kennedy.
