For Dr. Annette Ortiz, Chairperson of Bronx Community College’s Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, the recent visit to the Inter American University of Puerto Rico was more than a professional milestone. It was personal.

Born and raised in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Dr. Ortiz reflected on her journey as she sat with institutional leaders in San Juan, helping shape a new academic partnership for BCC students. “I felt emotional being there,” she said. “Sitting at that table in Puerto Rico, representing our students, it felt like history in the making for me.”

Dr. Ortiz’s path to leadership was anything but traditional. She began her career as an X-ray technologist before a colleague encouraged her to try teaching. What started as a temporary adjunct role quickly expanded. Over the past 15 years at BCC, she has earned tenure, been promoted to associate professor, and now leads a growing department.

This year marks another milestone. Dr. Ortiz recently completed her doctorate in education leadership, becoming a first-generation doctoral graduate.

“I feel like everything is coming together,” she said. “I’ve opened new doors for myself, and I want to leave a meaningful mark at BCC.”

That sense of purpose is central to her work and her connection with students.

“I relate to our students because I come from a similar background,” she said. “I’ve faced challenges and roadblocks. I always tell them that when you’re working toward something meaningful, those challenges will come. You just have to keep going.”

The new IAUPR partnership offers added opportunities for nursing and allied health students, including pathways to complete a BSN and new possibilities for faculty collaboration and curriculum development.

“Education is evolving,” she said. “Our students are balancing work, family, and school. We have to meet them where they are, and partnerships like this help us do that.”

As chair, Dr. Ortiz is focused on expanding opportunities while navigating challenges such as the nationwide shortage of nursing faculty. She sees this collaboration as a way to think differently about how programs grow and adapt.

What keeps her grounded are the students themselves.

“The best part of my job is seeing our students grow,” she said. “They come in unsure, and then you watch them succeed. When they come back and tell you that you made a difference, that’s everything.”

With a new partnership taking shape and a new chapter in her own journey, Dr. Ortiz is helping define what comes next for her department and for BCC students.