From September 15 to October 15, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM) to celebrate the history, culture and contributions of the Latin American community. Starting in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to cover a 30-day period in 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the impact and legacy of Latin American community members. Those celebrated influences are similar to what Christine Celestino-Boes, the assistant director of the Pathway Program provides for students daily.
Her background at BGSU
Christine Celestino-Boes has been with BGSU for 27 years and is the assistant director of the Pathway Program. She has a bachelor’s in political science and Spanish with a master’s in curriculum and teaching.
The story that shaped Celestino-Boes
Celestino-Boes is a first-generation college student, and daughter of parents who worked as migrant farm and labor workers. She has been determined to go to college since third grade because it is important to her and her family.
“Education was always important for the both of them,” Celestino-Boes said.
While she was preparing to apply for college, the education system was not in her favor, she said. Her guidance counselor did not believe she could make it to college and gave her no support.
“Sadly, I did not get any support from my guidance counselor,” she said. “They thought that the only place for my kind was a vocational school.”
It was her parent’s dedication that helped her learn the ropes of college. Although it was not the ideal college process, Celestino-Boes said ‘she would not change it.’
“They learned as I was going through it. We had to do the FAFSA four times, and we didn’t know when to visit the schools,” Celestino-Boes said. “We picked days the schools were closed. It was an experience for sure, but I am very grateful for that experience.”
Celestino-Boes studied at the University of Toledo for undergrad and then worked at the University of Findlay at their admissions office. She then began working at Bowling Green State University as a coordinator of tutorial services for the Trio Program.
Being a first generation college student has created a strong support system with her parents.
“The will of me wanting to get that degree and the fact that it was important for my family and my siblings…That helped me to stay focused and to continue to move forward,” Celestino-Boes said.
Getting her degree was important to her community back home and herself in school. It created her will to want more and succeed. There were communities built for Latinx to be able to create connections with other people in the community while at school. They had mentors who were also Latinx to help out with financial aid and more.
Being part of the BGSU Latina community
She was able to be involved with the Latino Networking Alliances (LNA). LNA is an organization comprised of BGSU faculty and staff and was developed to support Latinx faculty, staff and students at BGSU. They are committed to supporting students, developing scholarships and hosting events to connect students to Latinx faculty and staff to support one another, such as a welcome reception at the beginning of each semester for the BGSU Latinx Community. Celestino-Boes also served as an adviser for Latino Student Union for two years. She helped bring Latinx culture and traditions to campus.
Resources for Latinx students on campus
Celestino-Boes believes that Latinx students or students of color should start by looking at the Multicultural Affairs Office, which is housed in the Center for Student Connections and Opportunity. The office can be found in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union room 401. She believes the importance of this space is to be able to connect with one another. The center provides a space for an inclusive campus community, support and resources. It can be a great space for student connections. Meeting staff who have been in the same situation can help students currently experiencing issues. She believes the space needs to have purpose and needs to have people involved.
Celestino-Boes tries to make herself available to students to advocate for them because student success is her passion. Any students who want to talk to Celestino-Boes can contact her through email at [email protected].
