Gelsi Tuz-Uxul said being a student at Warner Pacific University was at times challenging, discouraging, joyous, and ultimately transformative.
As a student speaker at WPU’s Spring 2024 commencement, Tuz-Uxul shared a glimpse of her experience “as a proud Yucateca/Hispanic/Latiné first-generation graduate.”
“The road to graduation consisted of work, dedication, curiosity, and getting out of my comfort zone,” Tuz-Uxul said. “As a first-generation student, the path was uncharted, and the obstacles were daunting.”
Tuz-Uxul said she got a sense of Warner’s supportive community when recruiter Meghan Varner attended her high school’s college fair.
“She was curious to know what I was passionate about, what motivated me, and how WPU could be my community,” Tuz-Uxul said. “From personal stories to goals and aspirations, she saw me for me.”
While Tuz-Uxul didn’t know it at the time, she would eventually veer off the path of WPU’s standard degree offerings and work with faculty to design a personalized interdisciplinary program. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Community Engagement, with a minor in Digital Media.
She said Warner helped make college accessible, explaining the processes of enrollment, financial aid and registration.
“Through her support, I felt confident about beginning my college journey,” Tuz-Uxul said.
Still, she had some fear and uncertainty at the beginning of and throughout her college career.
“On top of being frightened and discouraged, being a Class of 2020 high school graduate, I often felt like things were out of reach for me, and doubt loomed large, threatening to derail my dreams or goals,” Tuz-Uxul said. “But it was here, at Warner Pacific, that I discovered the tools to navigate these challenges and found the unwavering support of a community dedicated to my success.”
The First Year Learning Community classes were crucial to her sense of belonging. There, she found encouragement from classmates and professors.
“While waiting to join my virtual class, I asked myself if I could belong there,” Tuz-Uxul said. “Could I succeed in this unfamiliar environment? My doubts faded when I joined my FYLC Zoom call with Professor Jennifer Cameron. Her dedication to education and contagious laugh solidified my decision that WP was the community for me.”
Whenever internal and external pressures and self-doubt threatened to derail her, the WPU community, her parents and family were there for her, she said.
“With resilience fueled by the support of the WP community, I have discovered a strength within myself that I never knew existed — a strength born of adversity, nurtured by a genuine community, and tempered by the knowledge that I am part of something greater than myself,” Tuz-Uxul said.
Tuz-Uxul received the Milo L. Chapman Award for Service in recognition of her achievements and community contributions, which include mentoring new students through their first year of college, volunteering at a recruitment event, and sharing her art on a banner for a special event.