\n\tPublished: July 25, 2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tAfter driving 22 hours from Tijuana, Mexico, Ren\u00e9 Galindo has moved into his new home in UW Bothell\u2019s Husky Village. \u201cI am very excited to be here,\u201d he said with a large grin. Just a few months ago, Galindo was completing his M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a specialization in student affairs. Now, Galindo is UW Bothell\u2019s newest Resident Director and he excited to make an impact on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tWhen he was 15 years old, Galindo\u2019s parents decided to take advantage of their dual citizenship and move the family from Tijuana to San Diego. They were determined to give their children a better future. \u201cIn Mexico, you can be the hardest worker and still not get anywhere,\u201d says Galindo. \u201cIn America, if you work hard, you can accomplish anything.\u201d For years, Galindo, the eldest of three sons, has watched his parents put in that hard work with 14-hour long days. He\u2019s also listened to his dad\u2019s reminders that education is the answer to a better life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tHowever, Galindo struggled academically in high school, \u201cI was failing all of my classes and didn\u2019t know what I was doing with my life.\u201d He reached out to one of his high school counselors, who encouraged him to prepare academically for college. Having a goal motivated Galindo to improve his grades. He managed to persevere through the uncertainty he faced, and with the encouragement from those around him, eventually enrolled at San Diego State University, becoming the first one in his family to pursue higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tDuring his first year as a college student, the majority of Galindo\u2019s peers stopped attending classes. \u201cI began to ask myself, why is everyone dropping out? That was what first thing that spiked my interest in student affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tTwo years later, Galindo accepted a job as a high school coordinator. He and his co-workers set up programs that they hoped would inspire lower income teens to pursue college. \u201cI saw the impact I was making on students, and wanted to continue helping people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tToday, Galindo is brainstorming new programs that will help first generation and other students at the University of Washington Bothell. He is aware that students face many challenges during their time at college, \u201cOne of the most critical problems that new students may face is not having someone to tell them where to go: \u2018How do I get to class?\u2019 \u2018How can I take advantage of my financial aid?\u2019\u201d Galindo hopes that by being there to answer these questions, he can take some stress off students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tAlthough Galindo will miss his father and mother, who are now living in Mexico, he is excited to join UW Bothell\u2019s diverse community. His first advice to all students is to \u201cexplore resources and share your experiences with others, because you never know when you might be helping someone without even realizing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\t Published: July 25, 2014 After driving 22 hours from Tijuana, Mexico, Ren\u00e9 Galindo has moved into his new home in UW Bothell\u2019s Husky Village. \u201cI am very excited to be here,\u201d he said with a large grin. Just a few months ago, Galindo was completing his M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a specialization in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":6054,"menu_order":18,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9812","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":null,"link_2":null,"link_3":null,"link_4":null,"link_5":null},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":null,"button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"uwbnews@uw.edu","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\n
\n\tRene Galindo<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"