Through Years of Struggle and Sacrifice Melissa Zamarron Breaks the Chain
May 2, 2014
APRIL 30, 2014 – LABELLE, FLA. – When Edison State College student Melissa Zamarron walks across the stage on May 2 to receive her bachelor’s degree, she will be the first person in her family to ever do so.
“Nobody on either side of my family has a bachelor’s degree,” Zamarron said. “My mom only made it to the third grade and my dad the sixth grade. My older brother tried college for a little while. No one even in my extended family has a bachelor’s degree.”
The journey to her college graduation was not an easy one. Nor was it quick.
“It has taken me seven years to get this college degree—a very long seven years,” she said.
With an older brother, two younger sisters, and parents that worked in the fields, Zamarron has always known what it means to struggle and sacrifice. She began working at U-Save in LaBelle when she was just 15. The money she earned went to help pay for school supplies for her two younger sisters.
“The money I made went to them. I paid for their book bags, their notebooks, everything they needed for school,” she said.
When she was a high school senior and still working to help her family, she dual enrolled at the Edison State College Hendry/Glades Center, and then attended her first two years of college at Edison for free after receiving the Isabella Curtis Scholarship. She quickly began to lose focus though, and considered dropping out.
“My first two years, I didn’t really see the importance in education,” she said. “I didn’t care, and I made very bad grades. I guess I just wasn’t ready.”
However, after she began noticing that her mother’s health was quickly declining, Zamarron began to reconsider her education.
“I watched how years of working in the fields in the hot sun had affected my mom’s health–the back pain, arthritis, and how she’s aged so quickly–and I didn’t want that for myself or my sisters. I realized it was time to break the chain,” she said.
With the help of her professors, Zamarron refocused herself.
“I wanted to work in law enforcement, but my professors said I’d never be able to if I didn’t improve my grades. They encouraged me to do better, so that’s what I did,” she said.
Over time, Zamarron began to improve her grades, all the while still working to support her family.
“I began getting all A’s, maybe a B here and there. It was hard and the hours were long, but I got myself back on track,” she said.
Her last year leading up to her degree has been the toughest, and she had to make another big sacrifice to help her reach her goal. She quit her job in order to focus entirely on her final research project that was required to graduate. Because of that, she and her husband lost their home and had to move in with their in-laws. However, through each struggle she faced along the way, Zamarron never gave up.
“As difficult as it was at times, I never lost focus of my goal of breaking the chain, finishing school, and having an education,” she said.
When Zamarron walks across the stage at Germain Arena on Friday night, her entire family will be there to cheer. She will receive her bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration and hopes to go on to have a career with the Fort Myers Police Department. She also plans to eventually earn her master's degree.
“It’s a huge milestone for me and my family,” said Zamarron. “Knowing that I made it, and that hopefully it will inspire my brother and sisters as well. It will be a feeling that I will never forget.”
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Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, Edison State College is Southwest Florida’s largest, most accessible and ranked nationally as one of the most affordable institutions of higher education. Serving more than 22,000 students per year regionally, nationally, and internationally, students are also active in a wide variety of clubs and programs that cater to their interests. Nationally, Edison State is ranked 45th among associate degree producers and 26th for its prestigious associate producing Nursing program.
Last Updated: May 26, 2020
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