We here at FuturesNW are so excited to celebrate you and your incredible accomplishments. Thank you for your thoughtful responses and sharing community with us during your time at Western. We look forward to the amazing things we know you will do! Read the interview and watch her Commencement Speech below:
Karina smiling and holding up her graduation cap, in WWU’s Miller Hall.
Q: First of all, how does it feel to have reached this huge accomplishment?
I feel happy to have experienced what graduating from college would be like. I am still processing being the commencement speaker. It feels like a dream that happened but did not. I always saw myself graduating but never being the commencement speaker. I feel honored to have the platform to shout out to the communities that got me through higher education.
Q: What advice would you give other students who are either thinking about college or in the process of completing a degree?
I would say to follow the process and trust yourself. Sometimes being in higher education you can forget that you have worked hard for your spot in your college/university. During my undergraduate time, I always felt like I was not smart enough or I just happened to get into a university. It took time for me to trust myself and feel secure that I did know what I was doing in school. If there is something you don't know or are not sure of, it is okay to ask for help and make connections for your success in higher education.
Q: What did you wish you would have known as you navigated higher education?
I wish I would have known how to be vulnerable and okay with not knowing everything. If I allowed myself to ask questions and help sooner I think I would have not struggled so much with some of my classes, projects, and extracurriculars. I believed I had to know everything there was to know. This mindset limited my learning and me for the first few years of my undergraduate experience.
Karina smiling and holding her diploma, in her graduation regalia.
Q: How did completing your Financial Aid application help you reach your goals?
In completing Financial aid I was privileged to not pay anything for my education. I just had to complete and update my forms when October 1st came around every year since my senior year of high school. Completing my FASFA allowed me to not worry about money and fully focus on my education.
Q: What will you miss the most about college?
I will miss being an undergrad. My experience was limited because of COVID so there is this weird gap when I was in college and experiencing it online and at home. I will miss the years before COVID and the years we missed.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your time at FuturesNW?
My favorite memory with FuturesNW has to be my first interaction with the organization as a high school senior. I was at one of the lowest points in my life and education. Going through QuickStart to College boosted my confidence and how I felt about going and being in higher education. Since that first interaction in 2017, FuturesNW has been a solid foundation and community in supporting my higher education. I cherish our first interactions because it was when FuturesNW became part of my community.
“Since my first interaction with FuturesNW in 2017, FuturesNW has been a solid foundation and community in supporting my higher education. I cherish our first interactions because it was when FuturesNW became part of my community. ”
Q: What’s your next chapter looking like?
My next chapter is starting my Master’s program through Western Washington University’s Woodring college of education. I will be starting my program in the spring of 2023. I am hoping to then become a world language educator for heritage Spanish-speaking students. I also am hoping to continue building connections and pathways for students of my community by continuing my work with FuturesNW.
Karina had the honor of sharing her story and a very moving message about the importance of community as she was selected as the Commencement Speaker. Watch her speech here:
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 1:00 p.m. - WWU Commencement on Vimeo
Skip to 23:05 for Karina’s Commencement Speech