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<\/a>The University of Toledo President Gregory Postel poses with Selina Ohene Obeng, left, who was crowned Homecoming Queen,\u00a0and Valentina Campos Yanez, who was crowned Homecoming King, during the Oct. 9 football game in the Glass Bowl.<\/p><\/div>\n
The bioengineering major from Guayaquil, Ecuador, wasn\u2019t new to life in the U.S. when she became a Rocket, but college was a whole new experience.<\/p>\n
Campos Yanez completed a cultural exchange through Maumee Valley Country Day School. She decided to stay in the U.S. to further her education, choosing UToledo for the co-op experiences built into the curriculum for College of Engineering students.<\/p>\n
Going from living with her family in Ecuador to being on her own was a transition Campos Yanez says was lonely and humbling. She was excited to study in the U.S. but as with many international students, trying to fit in in an unfamiliar place came with uncertainty.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving to adjust to a new country and culture made college harder than it appeared to be for my peers,\u201d Campos Yanez said.<\/p>\n
Campos Yanez wasn\u2019t alone, but UToledo\u2019s caring faculty and staff were the driving force that allowed her to feel more comfortable. From staff in the Learning Enhancement Center to her academic advisor, there was always someone eager to help.<\/p>\n
Campos Yanez\u2019s drive to find her place proved to be successful, culminating in a long list of her campus activities on top of her rigorous classes. Among her current leadership positions are the public relations and marketing chair for the Young Entrepreneurs Society and the campus involvement and event planning co-executive for the International Students Association, as well as a resident advisor in International House and a title IX ambassador.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s also the vice president of Global Latinx Student Union, an organization that she helped to create.<\/p>\n
Alexandra DeRosa, assistant lecturer of composition, and her husband, James, as well as former and current International House directors, Nickole Watson, Charles George and Viraj Patel, respectively, are just a few of the individuals who supported Campos Yanez with academic and personal guidance as she found her way through new experiences in the U.S.<\/p>\n
DeRosa first met Campos Yanez when she was new to UToledo, visiting DeRosa\u2019s office with Ecuadorian chocolates, a ritual gift-giving practice. Her Ecuadorian teacher had stayed with DeRosa\u2019s family, and he recommended that she contact DeRosa when she arrived.<\/p>\n
DeRosa remembers texting her daughter in March of 2020 to ask her to check on Campos Yanez, who was amid the campus shutdown as an RA and was not able to return to Ecuador. DeRosa\u2019s family hosted her through the first part of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been our pleasure to walk with Valentina and see her persistence and growth during her time here at UToledo,\u201d DeRosa said. \u201cShe has incredible stamina, and she does not give up.\u201d<\/p>\n