Campaigns

My turning moment was my decision to go to GVSU. 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.

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.

I was able to do that twice a week before practice, taking the first bus from the Laker Line at 7:30 a.m. My coaches and teammates worked with me to pick me up on the way to our practice. Though I was busy and tired, I found hope in my future, knowing that I was able to find ways to fix my problems by simply asking for help. I was able to start my day watching others perform the occupation that I was wanting to achieve, and seeing patients' faces light up as a result of their handiwork. After shadowing, I would quickly change from my scrubs into my GVSU tennis gear, ready for practice for the next 2.5 hours. 

This experience only lit up my days, as it kept pushing me to keep working harder and appreciate all the little things in my life, including the ability for me to engage in shadowing in my schedule. I was able to practice many of my passions here at GVSU, a school where I feel so grateful to have been a part of. I will forever be eternally grateful to my coach, Samantha Barr, for recruiting me, inspiring me, and pushing me in academics and athletics. Without this coaching staff and the support at GVSU, I would have felt that all the things I have done would be impossible to achieve.

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.

That's when it struck me: the "what if" had become a "what is." This wasn't a campus project. This was a movement. For the first time, our community had a space where difference wasn't merely tolerated or acknowledged, but celebrated. People were leaving the room not only knowing more about one another, but feeling more connected than when they'd arrived.

For me, that night was the affirmation that leadership is not about knowing all the answers, or never doubting anything. Leadership is being courageous enough to make the leap of faith, and trusting that a community as strong as ours will rise with you. Grand Valley gave us the platform, the support, and the people who shared that same dream. And together we made history.

That night showed me that "what if" is always an option. With the right people and with the right community, it's something that can change not just your own course, but the course of those around you.

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.

When I came to college, I knew I wanted to do something that encompassed my passions for people, social change, and art. Ever since middle school, this had shown up for me in the business world. Yet, something was not quite right. The connect to the nonprofit world did not hit me until I was a fellow in the Cook Leadership Academy. From there, I explored every opportunity I could to be involved in the community. I worked with both the Wellness Information Team and the Campus Vote Project -- anywhere that I could go to empower students. Day-after-day my love for the field grew and I realized I could be an artist for change in my career and daily life. Now, I am prepping to attend the University of Notre Dame next year for a Master's in Nonprofit Administration.

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