Students from Yakima find community, opportunity at CWU

Students come to Central Washington University from all over the world, but a large majority hail from our own backyard.

More and more, CWU students are coming to us from nearby communities, specifically from the Yakima Valley.

In recent years, CWU has placed more emphasis on prospective students from the Yakima Valley region, which has resulted in greater interest among high schoolers in the area looking for their next step after graduation.

The following stories offer a snapshot of the kind of students who are increasingly choosing to join the Wildcat family. As these individuals now prepare to walk across the commencement stage, they proudly talk about how CWU — and the supportive community here — helped them build a solid foundation for their futures.

Josselyn Guerrero

Senior accounting and finance major Josselyn Guerrero knew she wanted to go to college for accounting and got a head start on her college career through running start at Yakima Valley College.

Where the first-generation college student would go from there was anyone’s guess, until she was presented with a golden opportunity at a high school college fair in her hometown of Yakima.

“I knew I wanted to be an accountant, and CWU just worked out right from the moment they gave me an on-the-spot admission at an event at my high school,” Guerrero said. “It was honestly the perfect fit, since I didn’t want to be far from home, and once I was there, I just fit right in and every started falling into place.”

Early on, Guerrero worried about fitting in with her peers since she was starting her major at the age of 18 . Those fears were quickly dispelled once she met her classmates and discovered the welcoming culture at CWU.

“Being able to talk to all my professors and frequent the Accounting Club really helped me not be intimidated by being the youngest person in class,” she said. “I found that my age had nothing to do with what I was capable of.”

During her time at CWU, Guerrero became heavily involved across campus, taking a leadership position in the Accounting Club, joining the student ambassador team, and leading tours for prospective students.

“There are so many different people and experiences at a university like CWU. Being open and communicating and asking questions kept me learning the whole time,” she said. “Knowledge is power, and at CWU, people are willing to answer any question you might have.”

Once she finished her degree in March, Guerrero rolled right into a full-time position with an accounting firm in Yakima, a career move she feels she was only able to make thanks to the education she received at Central.

“Being able to have a full-time career in accounting at the age of 21 is kind of a surreal experience,” she said. “I wouldn’t have made it without all that help and support from my peers, my mentors, the accounting faculty, and everyone at Central. It feels so welcoming, like you can’t fail as long as you put in the work, because there are people ready to help you at every turn.”

Marisol Cervera Lara

College wasn’t initially on Marisol Cervera Lara’s radar. As a first-generation student from Yakima, her family didn’t have a history of attending, so they couldn’t guide her through the process. That all changed when Cervera Lara was contacted by CWU’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

“I was a little intimidated by all of it, which was when CWU’s CAMP program reached out to me,” the senior marketing management major said. “They offered to help me step by step, which is why I ultimately chose to come to CWU.”

Through watching shows like Emily in Paris, Cervera Lara had a dream of traveling the world, and she knew that a degree in marketing management was a step in the right direction. Approaching her education with the passion brought on by that dream, she found herself getting involved with amazing experiences like the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), and traveled to Chicago for their annual conference in 2025.

“Each of the events and opportunities I’ve taken advantage of has guided me towards those next steps in my career,” Cervera Lara said. “Those industry days and just casual connections with my classmates have set me up for success.”

She credits her social media class with helping her secure an internship with a local marketing firm that worked with her professor to deliver real-world experience to students.

“We get to do a lot of hands-on learning, rather than just listening to lectures,” Cervera Lara said. “I got my current internship through my social media class, where we were doing real work for real clients. Manastash Media was working with our professor to deliver the class and saw that I had the potential to be helpful to their company.”

Like with her internship, Cervera Lara found an on-campus student ambassador position through the connections she made with her mentors while pursuing her degree.

“One of my mentors in what was for me a very intimidating management class saw how I would pitch ideas and recommended that I seek out the student ambassador position,” she said. “Being part of that has helped me meet so many people and engage with the university on a deeper level. It has also helped me develop my communication skills.”

As she looks ahead to her career, Cervera Lara hopes that others can learn from her story, and take risks even in the face of uncertainty.

“If there’s an opportunity, take it,” she said. “If it feels like it might be too much for you, take it anyways. Look for the resources that are there to get you past that block, and know that it’s never too late to advance your life.”

Malik Cantú

Having served two consecutive terms as ASCWU President, Malik Cantú has been more involved around campus than most. The senior theater performance major started considering CWU since his mom is an alumna. His decision solidified when he realized he wanted to stay close to home.

The welcome he received on campus turned what felt like a routine next step into the beginning of something truly special.

“While I was preparing to come here, it felt like just another step on my path to a career, but once I arrived on campus, I kind of fell in love with the people, the culture, and the campus,” he said. “I just instantly felt at home, and like I’d be able to build my own network and community here.”

From the get-go, Cantú’s education was marked by a passion for social justice through theater, something he hopes to take with him into his career.

“I’m looking for a way to combine my acting skills with advocacy and leadership, in order to use theater as a means for advocating for underrepresented communities,” said Cantú, who grew up in Granger, a small town about 25 miles southeast of Yakima. “I want to contribute to the work of making their voices heard.”

As an elected official of the student body, Cantú found that his forays into the world of theater applied nicely to leadership.

“In theater, you learn so much about collaboration and teamwork and project management and leadership,” he said. “I’ve learned about directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, and a whole bunch of other disciplines. All of that applies to a broad variety of areas, like student government and advocacy. It’s all about elevating communities and fostering positive change.”

His time spent balancing his official duties with his studies has given Cantú a framework for how he operates under pressure, and a full suite of tools to navigate challenging situations.

“My time in student government has definitely presented some challenges and pushed me in ways I didn’t anticipate, which is something I’m so grateful for,” he said. “It helped me realize so much about myself as a person, and how I connect with others.”

Ultimately, Cantú is looking forward to graduating, and he is happy to see CWU beginning to pay more attention to the communities of the Yakima Valley.

“I feel like Yakima can sometimes be misunderstood, so I’m really excited to see Central take a step forward and focus on that community of students,” he said. “Having grown up there, there’s so much talent and potential and skill, not to mention resilience, in all of those students, all things that are necessary to pursue higher education.”