Nerea Makoli Quiros encourages students to confidently ask for help from professors and classmates. Openness to new people and new experiences, she said, is a valuable part of college.

Nerea is one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2022 graduation. Learn more about her time at Wichita State and what is next for the grad. 

Madrid, Spain

I will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in graphic design.

Among all the universities that caught my attention, I decided to choose Wichita State because of its graphic design program and track and field Team. Also, I already had some international friends living here who recommended Wichita State. 

I am feeling really proud to graduate and excited for the new adventures that this new chapter will bring to my life. It has been a hard way with many ups and downs, but nothing that could stop me from my objectives.

The biggest challenge being an international student was being away from family and friends, while also having to adapt to a new culture, their customs and the different language. Being an athlete, I had so many situations where I would have to study at the same time I was competing or having classes when I had to practice and vice versa. 

The most helpful learning experience at Wichita State was the community experience, knowing so many people from different places in the United States and from different places in the world.

After graduation I am planning to go back to Spain, I will be looking for a job in graphic design or keep learning more skills in the field. Also, I am planning on getting a minor in interior design while continuing to compete in track.

It was very challenging to adapt to the new reality that we had to face, online classes with everything that it involves. I was lucky enough to be able to keep my job on campus and see some friends there. Traveling got really complicated, too, since we were almost forced to stay either in our native countries or in the United States without being able to see our families in vacation time. 

Keep up the hard work. The beginning is the hardest moment. If you are struggling, please do not hesitate to ask for help.

Maybe you can be scared of certain professors or feel like maybe the first impression with a classmate was not good, but believe me when I say that the people, I connected the less with at the beginning, were the ones ending up being the closest to me or who would listen and offer me the best help. Always be nice and open to new people, even with those who look completely different from you or your ideals.

It is really nice to get to know someone and learn new hobbies or ideas you never shared before. Low moments will always be there and that is a fact. It is part of the process and I assure you that anyone can overcome any kind of barriers and that is something I learned while being a student-athlete.