2007 Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit:
“Portraits of Alumni Achievement”

Margarita Cásarez ‘97

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Margarita Cásarez ‘97, BSN
Director of ICU
Laredo Medical Center

Margarita Cásarez made her decision to become a nurse at six years of age. She was raised by a single mother who went to nursing school and trained with the Sisters of Mercy. Even though she was very young, she knew this career path was her destiny. Today, she still firmly believes that the choices that are made early in life influence the paths we create for the future.

Cásarez earned two nursing degrees prior to receiving her bachelor’s degree in nursing at TAMIU and is currently working towards her master’s in the same discipline. Her career began at Mercy Hospital, first in the telemetry unit and then in the emergency room. These two opportunities gave her the experience needed for her current role as the director of the intensive care unit at Laredo Medical Center. Through the example of her mother, Cásarez has learned that education is the strongest weapon a person has to succeed.