Bautista named Project Strive/TRiO Student of the Month for September

Bautista, who was named the Outstanding Student in Mathematics grades 6-12 during the college’s Rising Sophomore Ceremony in April, is working toward a double major in secondary education mathematics and special education. She discovered her interest in the field as a high school senior helping students with severe special needs as a volunteer para-professional for Special Olympics.

After graduating, she plans to return to her hometown and join the school system. She said later in her life it would be a fun challenge to work toward teaching at the college level.

After discovering CSC in her junior year of high school, Bautista knew it was a great fit for her.

“I was just drawn to it,” she said. “My mom was a huge fan [of CSC] and she was really nervous for me to go to college. So, her being a fan of this college, I was like, this is probably [the right one].”

Though Bautista is about halfway through her academic journey, she has already experienced memorable courses including a First Year Inquiry course, titled Mathletics: Not for Spectators. The class, taught by Dr. Robert Stack and Chase McLendon, included two of her main interests: math and sports.

“It just focused on different sports, learning how they work, and then incorporating math into them,” she said.

When she is not in class, Bautista stays busy with work, intramural sports, and other club activities. She is a Resident Advisor (RA) for Andrews Hall and works at The Pit, assisting in hosting weekly events.

“Knowing that you can find almost anything here keeps you wanting to go to school. I get to be involved in The Pit and I get to be an RA and that's kind of what I needed,” she said.

Chadron State College’s Project Strive/TRiO program, located in the lower level of the King Library, is an academic enrichment program committed to help students succeed. Project Strive also focuses on career exploration, cultural and social enrichment, and self-awareness. To be eligible for the program, a student must be one of the following: A first-generation student where neither parent has a four-year degree, meet low-income status based on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services criteria, or have a documented disability. For more information, visit https://www.csc.edu/projectstrive/.