Senior Jose Villalpando poses with his arms at his sides in front of Cassel Theatre. He wears a black polo and glasses, has short black hair and closely trimmed facial hair.
Jose Villalpando came to Doane focused on getting in and out with his degree in psychology. But in opening himself up to relationships on campus — friends, advisers and mentors — he's going to graduate in May with much more. He's found his stride in leadership, as president of DULSA and an editor for Doane Student Media. And he's found passions he didn't know he had before becoming a Tiger.

Featured Tigers is a monthly series wherein the spotlight shines on a few students, alumni, faculty and staff from our Crete, Lincoln and Omaha campus locations. These individuals stand out in the best way — as talented and driven leaders.

View all Featured Tigers here.

Jose has also written several articles for the Office of Strategic Marketing, and if you haven't had a chance to read them, you absolutely should! Because of Jose, you can:

What is your name and graduation year?
Jose Villalpando, 2023

What is your major or degree program? 
Psychology

What do you hope to do after completing your degree?
I hope to move into the work force for at least a year to gather more experience in the psychology field (preferably involved in counseling) and then further my education through a graduate program focused on counseling work.
Jose Villalpando poses in a black polo tshirt, with his arms at his sides. He has short black hair and closely trimmed facial hair.
How is Doane preparing you to reach your goals?
Doane has helped me become prepared to tackle my goals by offering various courses and programs to both broaden and narrow my knowledge, depending on the area I'm currently looking into. That along with the support from faculty and staff has greatly helped further motivate me to accomplish my future goals.

Who has been a major influence for you during your education at Doane? How have they helped you?
Luis Sotelo is one of the major reasons why I am even at Doane in the first place. He has consistently pushed me to be the best I can be and has seen the leadership potential within me even when I didn't; Brian Pauwels is my academic advisor and one of the first professors I met at Doane and isn't afraid to be realistic with me and my goals, which I appreciate a lot; Cindy Betka was a great professor that helped further my interest in counseling work and even sparked a new interest in addiction counseling; and finally Eric Tucker, Doane Student Media's advisor, who is just an overall amazing man that is always willing to help and listen whenever he can; even with all that being said, almost every faculty member I've met at Doane has influenced and helped motivate me during my education.

What is something you're proud of accomplishing or achieving while at Doane?
I think that the biggest thing I am proud of accomplishing while at Doane was being able to host a second leadership academy for Crete High School students back in March, now that I am the president of the Doane University Latinx Student Association (DULSA). The event was meant to promote leadership ability for high school students and help them begin thinking about their futures after high school. I was especially proud of hosting the academy again because we haven't had the opportunity to host the academy since our first one back in 2019, before COVID-19 hit, and fostering leadership ability and potential early is something that I truly care about since I wish I had the opportunity to grow more back when I was in high school. I truly believe that the academy was and will continue being a great opportunity for Doane and Crete high school to further deepen their connection while helping the high schoolers grow as leaders.

What advice would you give to an incoming student?
The biggest advice that I can give is to focus on what you truly care about. Coming into Doane, I didn't really make a lot of relationships early and just wanted to solely focus on getting my degree and leaving. Getting further into college I realized that I didn't just care about the degree--my end goal--but also for the journey getting there. I began to care about a lot of other things, people, and organizations along the way and just working toward the degree wasn't making me as happy as I could be. I changed and put better focus on those new things that I began caring about and it helped me so much and has deepened some relationships that I have made. Don't be afraid to take the time to just sit back and reflect on what you truly care about, and redirect some of your focus onto that. It helped a lot for me.

What's something you like about yourself that other people may not know?
The thing that I like most about myself is my ability to help others and listen when they need it. I know that I tend to keep to myself most of the time, but some of my friends may know that I will not just ignore someone that is having a rough time. I enjoy helping others ease their burdens, even if all it takes is to just sit back and listen, which not a lot of people have expected once they get to know me.

What is something you've really enjoyed about your time at Doane?

I've really enjoyed most, if not all of the relationships that I have made while at Doane. Most of the people I have come to know have been super helpful and great people that I hope to know/remember for years to come.