Krystal Peña ’21

As a first-generation student and first-generation U.S. citizen, what drove Krystal Peña ’21 was the determination of her parents and a drive to live up to the opportunities they created for her.

“My parents and I have gone through so much over the years,” Peña recalls. “My dad has always worked hard to provide for our family. My mom immigrated from Mexico and didn’t know a single word of English. I was born in Queens. When she was pregnant with me, she had to learn how to take the subway at night, not knowing where she was going. We eventually moved to Chicago and had to start over a little bit. There are a lot of struggles that come with being from an immigrant family. I had to learn a lot on my own, but my mom tries her best to really learn and understand what I go through as well.”

Given her situation, when it came time to make decisions regarding her higher education, Peña didn’t have the familial experience that many take for granted. Fortunately, support from a Valpo alum pointed her in the right direction.

“My high school AP Stats teacher is a Valparaiso University alum,” Peña says. “She coordinated a field trip to the University and gave us a personalized tour. I fell in love with the campus and how small it was. The thought of college as a high school student was very overwhelming, but Valpo felt like home. It checked all the boxes for me.”

Peña decided to pursue a double major in electrical engineering and Spanish, ultimately spending five years at the University when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her plans. During her time at Valpo, Peña became heavily involved in several organizations, including LatinX in Valparaiso for Excellence (LIVE) and the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition (AAPIC). She was also a founding member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

These experiences not only gave her a strong community, but also taught her valuable skills that she carried into the workforce as a software test engineer with Caterpillar.

“I participate in what we call the employee resource groups, so I’m part of the Caterpillar Latino Connections group, as well as SHPE,” Peña says. “The CLC includes all the Latinos who work for Caterpillar globally, in any role. Within the engineering group, I participate in SHPE recruiting. For the past two years, I’ve attended the SHPE national conference, recruiting students, which has been really fun—being on the opposite side of what happens at a career fair.”

Outside of work, Peña is using the skills she learned at Valpo to live the University’s values of service and leadership, giving back to her community and helping the next generation of students follow in her footsteps.

“I’m on the student alumni board for my middle school back in Chicago, Namaste Charter School,” Peña says. “We organize programming for 8th-grade students and alumni who are in high school. A lot of what I do is to help people who are like me and come from backgrounds like mine. As a first-generation student and as a Latina, I try to help kids get into high school and college. As long as I help somebody, I feel proud.”

Helping and being helped as part of a broader community has played a pivotal role in shaping Peña’s life and goals. She hopes other young people in her position can learn from her example, and she offers this advice:

“As a first-generation student, you might hesitate to ask for help because you’ve always been expected to figure it out yourself. But honestly, get all the help and expertise you can along the way,” Peña says. “I’ve met a lot of great women at Caterpillar and built strong friendships through the connections I’ve made here. Keep the people in your circle close. If you ever need help, whether you’re stuck or need advice on your career or life, they’ll always be there to support you.”