A passionate academic leader, Celeste Crain gives a warm embrace to all three of her vivid cultures. As a proud Hispanic Latina, she aims to do right by her culture by learning, living, and loving it. Zealous about diversity and culture, she not only studies her own roots, but the roots of those around her, and encourages everyone to do the same.
Name: Celeste Crain
Year: Sophomore
Major: Psychology
Her Campus (HC): What are your plans for after graduation?
Celeste Crain (CC): [I] plan to jump start my career as a nurse.
HC: What are your nationalities?
CC: I am American, Cuban, and Spaniard.
HC: How strong of an influence do you think your culture has on you as a person?
CC: My culture has definitely influenced me a lot, especially in academics. Being a part of a minority culture and being able to represent my family as one of the few with not only a high school diploma, but also a college education, and ideally a college degree is really important to me.
HC: Do your parents speak Spanish to you around the house, or did you decide to learn on your own?
CC: My parents did not speak Spanish; my mom didn’t really hold onto the culture and embraced more of the American culture. I learned what I know from school and my grandparents, may they rest in peace.
HC: Why do you think it’s important to celebrate your culture?
CC: I think it is important to celebrate my culture because, even though people say it’s not true that “where you come from is who you are,” I believe it is because whether you stray from it or not, it has in some way made you who you are. I worry about people not embracing and celebrating their culture because, what is the world without culture? Teaching others and learning about their diversity is essential in today’s world. A narrow mind follows a narrow path with few opportunities and experiences.
HC: What’s your favorite part about belonging to three such diverse cultures?
CC: My favorite part about being three different cultures would be the ability to learn so much between recipes, values, beliefs, and principles. I can then apply the best of all three to my life, making it the best of three worlds.
HC: What’s your favorite cultural dish?
CC: My favorite dish is definitely ropa vieja, hands down!
HC: Are you part of any cultural organizations on campus?
CC: I am involved in two cultural organizations on campus! I am the public relations chair for the Cuban American Student Association (CASA) and I am also the treasurer and social and community service chairs, as well as a very proud Hermana of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. And for those interested, you don’t have to be Hispanic or Latino to join either!
Fervently encouraging diverse thinking for broad minds and opportunistic life paths, Celeste
Crain is an absolute minority advocate. Her love of all cultures and drive to learn more, as well as her constant strive to do right by her heritage make her definite star quality!