(Fall 2021 Purple & White Article)
An International Perspective Striving for Success On and Off the Field
In August 2017, Jose Baldo Gonzalez ’20 came to Iowa Wesleyan University from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, with the dream of getting his Bachelor’s degree and playing soccer. After graduating from U.E. Colegio San Vicente de Paul, Gonzalez was recruited as an international student to play soccer. Gonzalez stated that he “liked the education level the institution was offering… my professors and coaches have contributed to my success by guiding me to make the best decisions and not miss opportunities.”
Beyond the traditional challenges faced by college students, Gonzalez noted, “As an international student, it is very difficult to find a place to do the internship and stay working.” Despite this challenge, he is working as a Project Manager in a local company where he completed his internship in 2020.
Gonzalez was a three-year member of the Tiger Men’s Soccer team before finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. After graduating in 2020, he decided to continue his education with IW and is currently completing his last semester of the Master of Arts in Management Leadership program. Beyond the classroom, Gonzalez is also working as a Graduate Assistant for IW Men’s Soccer. Gonzalez notes that “Soccer has been my passion since I was a kid! I’m glad to be on the other side of the field.”
In addition to his time with the men’s soccer team, Gonzalez attributes his continued success to the connections he has made with his professors. Gonzalez stated, “I had the opportunity to have a great relationship with some business professors at IW… they listen and they are always trying to give you the best guidance.”
After graduating, Gonzalez plans to continue working with a long-term goal of starting his own business. “I believe IW has prepared me to achieve my goals; to be successful outside of college, you need to learn how to solve problems. IW makes students develop those [problem-solving] skills.”
The Right Place to Be
It wasn’t until Head Football Coach MD Daniels reached out to Tyrek Fuller ’24 with a scholarship opportunity that Fuller even considered going to college. Fuller grew up in Albany, Georgia, before moving to Orlando, Florida, during his junior year of high school. While in high school, Fuller worked in a couple of trade positions before deciding that he wanted to eventually buy land and get involved in agribusiness.
Fuller initially considered enlisting in the United States Navy straight out of high school when Coach Daniels recruited him to play football at IW. Fuller originally planned to major in Criminal Justice, but was introduced to the Agribusiness faculty two weeks before the start of the Fall 2021 semester. “We kind of call ourselves the ‘dream team,’’’ noted Fuller. “Being a part of this team of people with all of the experience that wants to help is amazing.” Fuller has expressed his goals of owning his own land and becoming a rancher to his Agribusiness professors, Gail Kunch and Timothy Furlong. Fuller notes that his professors are helping him learn what he needs to in order to be successful.
As a first-generation college student, Fuller emphasized that “being a first-gen is outspoken. Many people think we’re going to fail, but you’d be shocked by what we can really do. I feel like Iowa Wesleyan helps you accomplish what you want to get in life and it’s just the right place to be.”
Kendra Gauge 