Graciella Cilinceon

I remember thinking, if I could get through that first quarter, I could get through anything."

Radiology students at Tacoma Community College have access to a new opportunity in the inaugural TRA Medical Imaging scholarship, initiated in 2020.

Select students in the Radiologic Science program were identified by faculty and staff as having the greatest need for additional support, and received a monetary scholarship as well as an opportunity to be mentored by one of TRA’s trained radiologists to help achieve their academic goals.

One of those students was Graciella Cilinceon, a 56-year-old former banker who has a passion for lifelong learning. When acting as the caretaker for her aging mother, Cilinceon interacted with various specialists in different medical settings. She discovered a passion for Radiologic Science through this process and decided to pursue her lifelong goal of a career in the medical field.

She was accepted into the Radiology program at TCC but had a very trying first quarter. “Everything went wrong,” Cilinceon recalled. She struggled to find books and access financial aid, and had the most credit hours she’d ever had in her academic history. “I remember thinking, if I could get through that first quarter, I could get through anything,” she said.

When she victoriously completed the quarter, she was relieved. Shortly after, she became completely overjoyed. She had just received news that she was selected as a TRA scholarship recipient.

With the resources provided, along with her steadfast supporters in Workforce Education and BFET, Cilinceon has been able to tackle clinicals head on.

“I do feel like I’ve been supported in every possible way and I appreciate it so much,” Cilinceon said.

Click here to read Traci Hamilton’s story, another TRA scholarship recipient. For more information about the Radiologic Science program, click here.