Read about Ismenia Castelan's experiences as a first-generation student who graduates this December with a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Iowa College of Education. During her time at Iowa, Castelan also fostered important friendships with other Latinas and helped bring the sorority Lamda Theta Nu, one of a few Latina-focused Greek organizations in the nation, to campus.
Castelan credits her professors in the College of Education with helping her reach her goal of becoming an elementary teacher. Not only did she get to work on a graduate-level literacy project with associate professor Carolyn Colvin, but she says she has benefited from the college’s extensive network of education professionals—in Iowa and beyond.
“I have had so many opportunities to learn and grow,” says Castelan. “I’ve always felt supported, and I know that the professors are very focused on making us the very best educators we can be.”