October 20 – Jessica Susaita-Monroe is originally from Mexico and Corsicana. A graduate of Corsicana High School, Jessica made the confident decision to pursue her Associate Degree at Navarro College, knowing it was a good starting point for her as a first-generation college student. During her freshman year, she was active in the Student Recruitment department, where she recalls most of her favorite memories from her time at Navarro.
After receiving her AAS degree from Navarro College in 2015, Jessica continued her education and graduated with a BS in Animal Science from Texas A&M University in 2017. Now she is a Ph.D. candidate at TAMU within the School of Animal Science. Her studies focus on reproductive physiology, in which she co-authored the recently published study “Developmental programming of the neuroendocrine axis by steroid hormones: insights from the sheep model of PCOS” in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.
In addition, Jessica produced a first-author study, “Postnatal obesity potentiates the effect of GnRH-induced LH release in prenatal testosterone-treated female sheep,” which she presented at the 2023 American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting. She plans to complete this study. her PhD December 2025.
“I often think about my Navarro College experience…the classes, the environment. I miss it and I try to bring the NC culture to where I am today,” she reflects. “Navarro College has really helped me continue my education at a larger university. The small class sizes and caring professors have provided me with the tools I need to be successful wherever I go after graduation.”
“I have always dreamed of pursuing higher education,” says Jessica about her doctoral candidate. However, she owes much of her resilience to the professors at Navarro College, whose faith in her endured when her own confidence wavered. “Sometimes all a student needs is a reminder that they are capable of more than they think.”
Outside of her studies, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, husband Thomas, and their two cats and one dog.
