The road to Donnelly College was not smooth for Diego Payan. After graduating from high school, he began studying engineering at a university in his native Juarez City, Mexico. His parents owned their own jewelry stores, and his two younger brothers were in school. Little did Diego know, all of their lives were about to drastically change.
“When all this chaotic situation in Mexico started going on, the drug lords…started asking for money from my parents, but it was money that we didn’t even have, and we were not willing to work for them,” he says. “It would be like supporting them – and the way they put it, it was for ‘protection.’ But protection from what? Protection from themselves.”
When drug lords began to seriously threaten the family’s security, they relocated to the United States. They settled down in Kansas City, Kansas, where Diego’s uncles and aunt offered their support.
“We didn’t anticipate it at all,” Diego says of the quick move from Mexico to the US. “There were some cloudy days, certainly. We had a lot of support from our family, but yeah, the change was
very drastic.”
Although he credits his family in Kansas City for providing invaluable support, Diego says the transition was tough for more reasons than just missing family and friends he’d left behind.
“When I moved here, I knew that higher education was way more expensive than in Mexico, so my dreams of obtaining a degree were fading away slowly,” he says.
After hearing about Donnelly through his aunt, Diego enrolled at the College in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. Five years later, he hasn’t left.
“I was attracted to the College and how people treat students here,” he says.
According to Diego, Donnelly has been a great fit — so much that he now is working toward his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems with a minor in Organizational Leadership.
“It’s the way people treat each other here; it’s the way I feel welcome when here, and I feel everybody is welcome here,” he stresses. “Since it’s a small college, I like the fact that teachers are more in contact with individual students and they are able to keep track of each of them. That gives a great impact on the level of education to each student.”
After switching tracks from his original path toward engineering to computer technology, Diego says he enjoys studying information systems and volunteering in the IT department on campus.
“I don’t know where would I be or what would have happened if I would have stayed [in Mexico], but I found out that I am very passionate about what I’m doing right now,” he notes.
A large part of the sense of community he feels at Donnelly comes from his connection to the IT department, his instructors and the friends he has made. Yet perhaps an even larger part of the reason he loves Donnelly is because his younger brother now also studies at the College. Marino Payan is following in his brother’s footsteps as he too works toward a bachelor’s degree in IS.
When asked how he feels about going to the same college as his older brother, Marino’s answer comes without missing a beat: “It’s fun,” he says, smiling. “We’re never alone because we always have each other.”
Furthermore, Diego and Marino’s younger brother, Daniel, plans to attend Donnelly in two years, so if the fates align, all three siblings could be under one collegiate roof simultaneously — a thought that makes both Diego and Marino quite happy.
While Marino’s journey from Juarez City to Kansas City brought him challenges in school and adapting to a completely new culture and lifestyle, he emphasizes how much he feels at home at Donnelly.
“I’m really happy being here,” he states. “I’m here almost all day. I don’t even go back home when I have free time. All the teachers help you a lot, and volunteering here is easy. The environment is really exciting here.”
Although it seems challenging for Diego in particular to choose one Donnelly instructor who’s had a profound impact on him (“All of them are very unique, are very special, and I keep them very present,” he explains), Diego and Marino each credit much of their success at the College to caring, talented, friendly instructors like Jaime Fuentes, who is an Information Systems and Technology Instructor and Soccer Club Advisor.
“I have learned from, of course, my Jedis, Jaime Fuentes and Sergey Solovev,” Diego says. “Those have been very, very important teachers that make a big impact on my career — especially Mr. Solovev, who keeps encouraging me and helping me through my journey.”
Marino, who says he spends most of his free time in Fuentes’ office, agrees: “He teaches me about life too.”
Diego further credits Neita Collins, his first ever instructor at Donnelly; Dr. David Michael Allen, whose composition course proved challenging and rewarding and Information Technology Manager Birdell McCall, who guides Diego through his volunteer work as a Technician Assistant. And when posed with the question of how he hopes Donnelly can help him achieve his goals, Diego gives the College credit for his unquestionable success.
“The question will be: I will actually reverse the question — how can I help Donnelly?” he says. “How can I help this institution give back to the community?”
“When all this chaotic situation in Mexico started going on, the drug lords…started asking for money from my parents, but it was money that we didn’t even have, and we were not willing to work for them,” he says. “It would be like supporting them – and the way they put it, it was for ‘protection.’ But protection from what? Protection from themselves.”
When drug lords began to seriously threaten the family’s security, they relocated to the United States. They settled down in Kansas City, Kansas, where Diego’s uncles and aunt offered their support.
“We didn’t anticipate it at all,” Diego says of the quick move from Mexico to the US. “There were some cloudy days, certainly. We had a lot of support from our family, but yeah, the change was
very drastic.”
Although he credits his family in Kansas City for providing invaluable support, Diego says the transition was tough for more reasons than just missing family and friends he’d left behind.
“When I moved here, I knew that higher education was way more expensive than in Mexico, so my dreams of obtaining a degree were fading away slowly,” he says.
After hearing about Donnelly through his aunt, Diego enrolled at the College in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. Five years later, he hasn’t left.
“I was attracted to the College and how people treat students here,” he says.
According to Diego, Donnelly has been a great fit — so much that he now is working toward his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems with a minor in Organizational Leadership.
“It’s the way people treat each other here; it’s the way I feel welcome when here, and I feel everybody is welcome here,” he stresses. “Since it’s a small college, I like the fact that teachers are more in contact with individual students and they are able to keep track of each of them. That gives a great impact on the level of education to each student.”
After switching tracks from his original path toward engineering to computer technology, Diego says he enjoys studying information systems and volunteering in the IT department on campus.
“I don’t know where would I be or what would have happened if I would have stayed [in Mexico], but I found out that I am very passionate about what I’m doing right now,” he notes.
A large part of the sense of community he feels at Donnelly comes from his connection to the IT department, his instructors and the friends he has made. Yet perhaps an even larger part of the reason he loves Donnelly is because his younger brother now also studies at the College. Marino Payan is following in his brother’s footsteps as he too works toward a bachelor’s degree in IS.
When asked how he feels about going to the same college as his older brother, Marino’s answer comes without missing a beat: “It’s fun,” he says, smiling. “We’re never alone because we always have each other.”
Furthermore, Diego and Marino’s younger brother, Daniel, plans to attend Donnelly in two years, so if the fates align, all three siblings could be under one collegiate roof simultaneously — a thought that makes both Diego and Marino quite happy.
While Marino’s journey from Juarez City to Kansas City brought him challenges in school and adapting to a completely new culture and lifestyle, he emphasizes how much he feels at home at Donnelly.
“I’m really happy being here,” he states. “I’m here almost all day. I don’t even go back home when I have free time. All the teachers help you a lot, and volunteering here is easy. The environment is really exciting here.”
Although it seems challenging for Diego in particular to choose one Donnelly instructor who’s had a profound impact on him (“All of them are very unique, are very special, and I keep them very present,” he explains), Diego and Marino each credit much of their success at the College to caring, talented, friendly instructors like Jaime Fuentes, who is an Information Systems and Technology Instructor and Soccer Club Advisor.
“I have learned from, of course, my Jedis, Jaime Fuentes and Sergey Solovev,” Diego says. “Those have been very, very important teachers that make a big impact on my career — especially Mr. Solovev, who keeps encouraging me and helping me through my journey.”
Marino, who says he spends most of his free time in Fuentes’ office, agrees: “He teaches me about life too.”
Diego further credits Neita Collins, his first ever instructor at Donnelly; Dr. David Michael Allen, whose composition course proved challenging and rewarding and Information Technology Manager Birdell McCall, who guides Diego through his volunteer work as a Technician Assistant. And when posed with the question of how he hopes Donnelly can help him achieve his goals, Diego gives the College credit for his unquestionable success.
“The question will be: I will actually reverse the question — how can I help Donnelly?” he says. “How can I help this institution give back to the community?”