The Weslaco Fire Department has its first-ever female firefighter.

Julia Rocha is just 20 years old and already making history. She doesn't look like what some people expect when they hear firefighter. 

She has clear nails, French tips, and a whole lot of strength. 

"Everything about me is like a challenge, just a challenge — to see if I can do it," Rocha said.

Now, she's the first woman to serve Weslaco as a firefighter.

"When they told me I was going to be the first woman, I was so happy. I was like I got to get to it; I had to lock in," Rocha said.

Rocha's path to the firehouse wasn't always clear. She started studying psychology in college but felt like something didn't fit.

So she turned to a daily passion, working out at the gym. That's when a friend, who is a firefighter himself, suggested she try something different.

"He was like, 'Why don't you just do firefighting?' I was like, honestly, why not?" Rocha said.

She dropped her classes and enrolled in the fire academy at South Texas College.

"Once it started, it was anxiety every day," Rocha said.

Life in the academy meant tests every three days and finals every two weeks.

"The most draining part is honestly the physical part," Rocha said.

Then came the agility test. A simulation of different real-life scenarios, all done under a strict time limit, all while wearing full gear.

Out of six women, only one made it through — Rocha.

"Everything that was running through my mind was like, you know what, you're dying right now; it hurts, but you just have to keep going. Don't stop, don't stop," Rocha said.

And it's not just strength that drives her.

"I feel proud, mostly; what warms my heart is to know that I made my tía proud," Rocha said. "Because she raised me for, like, 10 years, she sacrificed literally 10 years of her life. Nothing I could ever do in this world could give her that time back."

Proving she's strong enough to carry the job, and sometimes the guys she works with too.

"Don't ever tell a woman she can't because clearly she can and I can," Rocha said.

Watch the video above for the full story.