Ana Rico-Sanchez

Merced County Office of Education

Nominated in 2025

In August of 2022, Ana Rico-Sanchez was placed into Medical Assisting training through Welfare-to-Work, in the hopes of achieving an education that would result in steady and sustainable employment in the medical field. Ana, an ELL student, and a new mother, was struggling to make ends meet. Within months, Ana found that she had to make a decision between work and training. With a young child in the home, Ana made the choice to pursue employment with Amazon Distribution Center in Tracy.

A Year later, in November of 2023, Ana Rico-Sanchez was ready to pursue her education once more. She re-enrolled in the same Medical Assisting program, with clear defined goals of completing, and pursuing a phlebotomy license as well. Part time work was still a must, and Ana alternated night shifts at Amazon and caring for her daughter with her husband, sometimes briefly napping in the classroom before attending to her coursework. Towards the completion of her training, Ana enrolled in Phlebotomy training, and began her Medical Assisting internship (interning at a clinic 30 miles from her home).

She made a balancing act of it; MA school, Phlebotomy school, internship, and home life. When a classmate suffered a life altering crisis, Ana was there to offer support. She extended herself to public outreach, teaching compressions only CPR at community events. In October of 2024 her internship site made an offer of full time employment, and in December Ana stood as the keynote speaker, representing her peers as she, and they graduated. Today, Ana Rico-Sanchez is employed full time as a phlebotomist with Quest Diagnostics, and intentions of continuing her medical training into nursing.