{"id":9899,"date":"2026-05-27T21:31:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T21:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9899"},"modified":"2026-05-27T21:31:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T21:31:56","slug":"csuf-grads-cancer-battle-inspired-her-to-become-a-nurse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9899","title":{"rendered":"CSUF grad\u2019s cancer battle inspired her to become a nurse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Vicky Torres\u2019 journey to Cal State Fullerton\u2019s School of Nursing began long before her application to the university. It started in a hospital room where, as a 7-year-old bone cancer patient, she first witnessed the compassion of nursing staff that would later shape her future career path.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThose nurses were there for me and my family when we needed it,\u201d said Torres of her time battling cancer. \u201cI had good experiences with the nurses, and it inspired me to want to give back and be there for people when they need it the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in Orange and raised in Santa Ana, Torres was walking to elementary school with her parents when the 7-year-old complained that it hurt to walk. After being misdiagnosed for some time, doctors determined she had osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that affects children, teens and young adults.<\/p>\n

Torres immediately began chemotherapy treatment at Children\u2019s Hospital of Orange County and underwent surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to remove her femur and part of her hip, replacing them with a titanium rod.<\/p>\n

After multiple treatments and surgeries, including one at age 16 to repair a crack in her titanium rod, Torres was declared cancer-free. She also endured several leg-lengthening procedures that required breaking her leg bones and daily leg stretching using a machine.<\/p>\n

As a first-generation college student, Torres had to navigate her nursing pathway on her own. After graduating from La Quinta High School in Westminster, she began her higher education at Golden West College, where she learned about Santa Ana College\u2019s Associate Degree in Nursing program. She applied to SAC with the goal of eventually earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from CSUF.<\/p>\n

While applying to SAC\u2019s ADN program, Torres worked at UCI Health in the microbiology lab, processing COVID-19 specimens. At the same time, she continued to manage complications from her leg-length discrepancy that required additional surgeries.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore my leg lengthening, the only thing that would touch the floor on my right leg was the tip of my big toe,\u201d Torres said. \u201cSo I started surgery, and then I applied at the same time to nursing school at SAC, and I got in while I was going through the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Torres put her surgeries on hold after being admitted to SAC\u2019s nursing program so she could focus on her classes. Each summer, she resumed the leg-lengthening process while also taking online courses through CSUF\u2019s Jump Start program, which allows students enrolled in an ADN program to begin BSN coursework.<\/p>\n

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After transferring to CSUF in 2025, Torres was awarded a stipend supported by a $5 million CalOptima Health grant the university received in 2024. The funding played a key role in helping her pursue her degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started at Cal State Fullerton, I wasn\u2019t working because of my surgery,\u201d Torres said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t put any weight on my leg because it was broken, and I didn\u2019t have the means at that point to pay for tuition. Because of that stipend, I was able to pay for my classes and not worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the start of her time at CSUF, Torres faced another challenge when she did not pass her first attempt at the National Council Licensure Examination for nurses, known as the NCLEX. With support from CSUF assistant professor and RN-BSN Coordinator Kate Bayhan and RN-BSN adviser Ashley Riley, Torres regained her confidence, retook the exam and passed.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for Dr. Bayham and Ashley, I don\u2019t think I would be where I am,\u201d Torres said. \u201cThey helped me realize I know my stuff, I know what a nurse is supposed to do, and I know how to answer these questions. \u2026 I owe my career to the choice that I made to go to Cal State Fullerton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Torres currently works at a Los Angeles hospital and hopes to one day work as an ICU nurse.\u00a0 Even when some doubted she could become a nurse because of her condition, Torres stayed focused on her goal. Now with just one surgery remaining, she is grateful to begin her career without crutches or a significant limp.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you had told me five years ago that I would be able to walk, be a nurse and I wouldn\u2019t feel any pain, I wouldn\u2019t have believed you,\u201d Torres said. \u201cSo for me to now be there for people \u2026 and hold their hand and just be there for their families, it\u2019s so rewarding. Nursing is not a career. It\u2019s something I enjoy, and I\u2019m very grateful that I\u2019m able to do this job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Torres completed her coursework last December and will participate in CSUF\u2019s commencement ceremony this month. She described her time at CSUF as being shaped by a supportive community that embraced her from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met such wonderful people and such wonderful nurses there,\u201d Torres said. \u201cEvery person I met at Cal State Fullerton just wants to help you grow, whether it\u2019s career-wise or personal. Everyone is just so helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Vicky Torres received her bachelor’s degree in nursing earlier this month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nCSUF grad\u2019s cancer battle inspired her to become a nurse - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9899\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CSUF grad\u2019s cancer battle inspired her to become a nurse - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vicky Torres received her bachelor's degree in nursing earlier this month.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9899\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T21:31:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"headline\":\"CSUF grad\u2019s cancer battle inspired her to become a nurse\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T21:31:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899\"},\"wordCount\":900,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/9df65011af4525abcb0378f0c09b7217.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Local News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=9899\",\"name\":\"CSUF grad\u2019s cancer battle inspired her to become a nurse - 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