From Pupil to Mentor: Ida Almanza Receives the College of Health Sciences Gold Nugget Award

Ida Almanza knows the impact higher education can have on a person’s career, but beyond that, she knows the value that community and mentorship can have on a person’s life.
UTEP recognizes remarkable alumni for their accomplishments, community impact, and excellence, and this year, Ida Almanza will be presented with the Gold Nugget Award for the College of Health Sciences.
“Ida’s outstanding accomplishments within her field of clinical laboratory science and her consistent and meaningful contributions to the College of Health Sciences as a founding advisory board member has had a profound impact on our college,” said Stacy Wagovich, Ph.D., interim dean of UTEP’s College of Health Sciences. “Our faculty, staff and students feel that impact, and we are grateful for her extraordinary dedication over many years.”
Almanza’s distinguished career in a reference laboratory, hospital settings, blood banking, and UTEP have positively impacted faculty, staff, students and medical professionals through the years. In the same way, Almanza was once one of those students who sought out an education and mentorship, meeting professionals along the way who would help her build her career.
“Mentors are what makes UTEP students succeed,” she said.
Almanza grew up in the small town of Fort Hancock, Texas, where her graduating high school class was made up of just 10 students. Inspired by her brother’s path to an education at UTEP, Almanza was admitted to UTEP in 1974. The change of pace and vast resources were adjustments that she would quickly make.
“When I arrived at UTEP, just the sheer number of students in each class was a culture shock,” Almanza said. “There were more people in my history class than my entire town!” She swiftly found mentors in her chemistry professors and guidance in her biology advisor, who were crucial characters in her academic success. Once Almanza started in what is now known as the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program, the program’s faculty prepared her and the other students on a path to succeed in their American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) board exams.
Almanza became a credentialed medical technologist and graduated from UTEP with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in 1979. She was the microbiology supervisor and preceptor of a reference laboratory, where she consistently worked with UTEP students. Even though the supervision added to her workload, Almanza deemed it an incredibly important part of her job to support those students.
“The students always taught me something each year, and training the future was something I took seriously,” Almanza said.
Not only did she work hands-on in the lab, but Almanza also took on administrative positions such as Administrative Laboratory Director and Hospital Compliance Officer. In these positions, she made sure that the UTEP Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program had appropriate training slots and strengthened the relationship between the laboratory and the University so students training with her could get job offers in the field. In the case of a Las Cruces, New Mexico hospital laboratory that did not have that symbiotic relationship, Almanza helped initiate a contract for UTEP students to train there.
These roles, whether administrative or in the lab, combined with her skills and knowledge, made Almanza an ideal candidate for Director of Shared Technical Services at Vitalant Blood Services, where she ultimately retired. She became a respected figure on a state and national level, consulting for her expertise in laboratory operations.
Almanza is a board-certified medical technologist, an ASCP specialist in microbiology, but also a major guide for CLS students. She is a founding member of the College of Health Sciences Advisory Board, was a member of the CLS Advisory Board for five years, and has now been serving as the President for the past three years.
“It has been an honor to continue to serve the University and continue to help our students and further the mission of the University,” she said. “I truly believe in paying it forward.”
Almanza has been a mentor to student interns and used her professional network to connect students with clinical placements in hospitals for rotations and internships. Recently, she worked with CLS Director Lori Torres, Ed.D., and the administration of Community Health Corp. in Plano, Texas to prepare students for the board exam and graduation in the face of a shortage of clinical training slots in the El Paso/Las Cruces region. The collaboration became a pilot program whose success created an optimistic future and an expectation that the program would continue. Almanza actively participates in many College of Health Sciences events and remains dedicated to paying forward the kindness she was given by mentoring CLS students and sharing her experiences.
“UTEP taught me that healthcare is not a job; it is a calling,” Almanza said. Her unwavering support and faith in the program are an inspiration to anyone who has met Almanza, and her impact is a reminder of the importance of mentorship and following your passion.