Education Knows No Borders: Flor Caceres Godoy’s Story
For marginalized college students, higher education can be a barrier to success rather than a tool for empowerment. That’s why Flor Caceres Godoy M’24 decided to pursue her Master of Education in higher education: to advocate for the type of support others like her may lack.
“As an immigrant, I’ve seen a lot of things,” Caceres Godoy says. “I want to cut through the red tape of higher education and the bureaucracy. I want to see how higher education policy works and how I can more directly provide educational access to students.”
Caceres Godoy was born in Guatemala and brought to Virginia at the age of 5. She chose to attend DeSales University for her M.Ed. because of Kelley Kenney, Ed.D., director of the graduate program in higher education.
“She wasn’t your typical admissions person,” Caceres Godoy says. “She provided a real-life perspective on higher education and was like ‘If you’re really interested in learning how to cut through the red tape, let’s do it.’”
In class, Caceres Godoy doesn’t hesitate to discuss the struggles that marginalized individuals like herself commonly face, such as low income status and having to help support her family. In doing so, she is raising awareness, while also brainstorming possibilities for positive change.
“There are a lot of ways to support families and their students, whether it be through college or just having some form of financial literacy. Sometimes school is even the place where people go to get their first meal of the day.”
Outside of class, Caceres Godoy is a graduate assistant for residence life and interned as a summer resident counselor for the Summer Discovery Program at Georgetown University.
Attracted by the opportunity’s proximity to home, the discovery program has given her additional experience working with students and expanding on the knowledge gained through the M.Ed. program, such as how to effectively work as a team. She’s thankful for the position, but looks forward to finishing her degree.
“I’m reaching another finish line. I’m reaching another final destination that my family and I never thought I’d reach.”