My "what if" became a "what is" the evening when Multicultural Night became a reality.

Prior to that, it was all on paper. A vision to bring about something GVSU had never seen before. Panels, lectures, and cultural events had been done on our campus prior, but never an evening celebration of the entirety of who we are as a community: our faiths, our cultural identities, our traditions, and our histories. I spent months wondering: What if we could do this? What if this could be an event where people would be happy to be able to share who they were, unapologetically?

That dream came true when the doors to the Grand River Room opened. It was a first of its kind, and the excitement was palpable. The room was filled with tables, each topped with dishes, artifacts, artwork, and stories from across the world. You could smell the food simmering, the music and words blending together, and the buzz of anticipation as individuals darted from table to table. And it wasn't just GVSU students who came – staff members, faculty, alumni, and even the general public from the Grand Rapids area stopped by to be a part of what we'd all built.

During my junior year of college, I realized I needed more shadowing hours to have enough to apply for dental school within the next year. I felt hopeless, as I did not have a car, and I was fully booked with classes, work, studying for the Dental Admissions Test, and balancing hours of being a full-time athlete. It was difficult for me to find a way to add hours while being so far away from home, so I talked with my coaches about a way to fit in these hours that allowed me to attend practice and also chase my dream occupation.

I decided to take the Laker Line and find dental offices around the bus route that are close enough to where my coaches could pick me up for practice. While on my journey, I passed by my first office, nervous yet hopeful. I hopped off the bus and walked on the sidewalk to Walker Dental Care, crossing two stoplights with my racquets strapped in my bag. I handed them my freshly printed resume and nervously asked if they had any dentists who would allow me to shadow them, knowing that if I were to be rejected that I would have a lesser likelihood of finding an office that would be close enough for me to attend practice on time. The front desk kindly said that I would be able to shadow one of their dentists.

My turning moment was my decision to go to college. I grew up very family dependent, and although I wasn't far from home, I still lived life alone and self dependent, making my own choices and learning to live life just like most college students. That change in my life is what made me realize that my future was all based on my ability to execute my plan.

I am president of the Latino Student Union, an active member in Laker Familia, and an active member in Destinos, Monarcas Ballet Folklorico. I am a fellow in the Cook Leadership Academy and a student of TRIO. All of these have helped shape my journey at GVSU, teaching me about culture, giving a sense of community, teaching me how to self manage, giving me support academically and personally.

My turning moment came when I realized that my interest in cities, planning, and sustainability could become more than just classroom learning. As a geography major with an emphasis in sustainable urban and regional planning, I wondered "What if I could actually apply this knowledge to real communities?" That “what if” became real when I secured an internship with the City of Hudsonville.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just reading about zoning codes or transportation infrastructure, I was helping draft checklists for developers, researching EV charging stations, and working alongside city staff to shape projects that impact people’s daily lives.