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Today’s #LionVoices feature is Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP alumna and ROAR first-year advisor Cristina Castorena! 

Cristina grew up in Zacatecas, Mexico, moving to  Fort Smith when she was young. She graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree focused on finance.


Seeing her parents, who are both Mexican American, work hard to provide a better life for their family inspired her to “carry on that legacy� in her work and her personal life. “Work hard, do it right, be nice to people, and just do it! Eventually, it will pay off.�

She said what moves her most about her career is the one-on-one interactions with students. “Yes, it's talking about classes, about registration, about graduating, but it’s also about ‘hey, how are you?’ and ‘how’s life?’� At the ROAR, she said, advisors often remind each other, 'You serve the student in front of you, that's how we make a difference.'

Making that difference at the university that helped shape her into the leader she is today is especially fulfilling, she added.  â€œÄ¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP allows you to grow into the professional you are going to be, and empowers you to be yourself in that.â€� 

She spoke further about how she integrated the values she witnessed at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP, especially being inclusive and accepting or others, into her life and work. “That’s the kind of help and service I need to give others, especially in a leadership position.â€�


Cristina went on to say that “seeing the community grow, seeing the people advocate for the students, and knowing the students that leave here will leave prepared for their careerâ€� is what makes her a proud Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP alum.

Next week, Cristina will help the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP community grow even more, as she kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month on campus. Join her and the entire HHM committee at one of their incredible events, listed at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP.edu/news!