Cynthia Salazar is only a junior, but she’s already got some pretty definite plans upon graduation. Thanks to her recent attendance at an HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities) conference made possible by the BUENOS grant, she was able to make some great connections and already has a solid job offer secured. After walking the stage in the fall of 2026, Salazar intends to be bound for Fairfax County in Virginia, where she’ll be working for the public school system. 

For now, she’s enjoying the strong sense of community and the personalized learning environment at TLU—those are the things that drew her here in the first place. She’s plenty busy pursuing her BA in Education Core Studies (grades 4-8) with a minor in art. But that’s only the beginning. “My involvement on campus extends beyond academics, encompassing leadership and participation in organizations such as Xi Tau, MASA, the BUENOS Advisory Board, Student Government Association, Information Technology, Social Society, and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness),” she explains. In her free time—when she has any—she enjoys relaxing on the river on her paddle board. 

She’s also a founding member of the TLU Esports Club. “My engagement in Esports since 2018 has yielded significant competitive experience and financial success,” she says. Being involved in the club from the ground up has given her a good sense of the possibilities of such a program, and Salazar can see it growing in the future. “My vision for TLU Esports is to establish a self-sustaining and high-achieving program, leaving a lasting legacy of excellence and opportunity for future students.”

With a year and a half left at TLU, there’s a pretty good chance that Salazar will make that happen.