UHCL grad aims to help bilingual students succeed

Many students encounter their first significant school challenges as teens, but Nayeli Romero experienced hers at the age of 7 when she and her family moved to the United States from Mexico. At the time, she did not speak English but was enrolled at a school where her teacher and classmates did not speak Spanish. The ordeal sparked her desire to become a bilingual educator and advocate for other immigrant students to prevent them from facing the same challenges she faced.

Nayeli will graduate today with a Bachelor of Science in Education with Core Subjects EC-6 and Bilingual Supplemental Certification from University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). In addition to receiving public recognition for her achievements, she will deliver the student address at the 3 p.m. ceremony at NRG Stadium.

“Being chosen as the commencement speaker is one of the highest honors a graduate can achieve and carries tremendous responsibility,” she said.

Looking back on her early days in the U.S., Nayeli said she remembers the pressure to adapt quickly to an English-speaking school environment. She hopes to remove that feeling for other young learners.

“It took me months just to learn how to ask to go the restroom,” she recalled. “I want students to understand that it’s okay to take their time to learn the language without feeling pressured.”

Although unwelcome, Nayeli’s struggles paved a road that led her to UH-Clear Lake. She said she chose the university because of its straightforward enrollment process and her positive experience during her first visit to the campus. During her tenure at UHCL, she held a consistently high regard for the faculty and staff. She described her professors as “knowledgeable teachers who go above and beyond for their students and want nothing more than for them to succeed.”

“UHCL provides a lot of resources and information for you to be successful,” she said. “Your professors are your greatest mentors, and you can always count on them.”

Nayeli’s success story proves these statements of UHCL’s faculty to be true, but her college journey was not without difficulty. She hit some snags along the way, ones that had nothing to do with learning a new language; the 2019 pandemic impacted her academic and personal life, as it did for many other students.

“COVID was the biggest challenge I faced while pursuing my degree,” she said. “Having a newborn baby during COVID was also challenging. Having a full-time job with a family makes it twice as difficult to follow your dreams.”

Despite taking a few semesters off, she persevered and completed all degree requirements. She now encourages other students to maintain a positive mindset throughout their academic journey, even when faced with difficulties.

“You might not achieve your goals the first time, and obstacles might get in the way, but those obstacles make you stronger,” she said. “Giving up is not an option, even if it takes longer to reach your dreams than you expected.”

Nayeli converted her roadblocks into stepping stones that motivated her to pursue a career she may not have otherwise pursued. She will begin her career in January as a pre-K bilingual teacher at Heritage Elementary School in LaPorte, Tex., where she completed her internship.

For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Education with Core Subjects EC-6 and Bilingual Supplemental Certification, go to www.uhcl.edu/academics/degrees/bs-in-education-with-core-subjects-ec-6-and-bilingual-supplemental.