Graduate Remains Grateful for BVU Support
Instructors and grants played a role in helping Bibiana Elena Lemus reach her dreams. Lemus graduated on May 8 from BVU, becoming the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree.
When the cap and gown from Buena Vista University arrived at the home of Bibiana Elena Lemus, it was cause for a family celebration.
“We opened the package and my mom told me how big this was to our entire family,” says Lemus, a BVU psychology major from Council Bluffs.
Lemus, the daughter of Alicia and Ernesto Lemus, is the first in her family to graduate from college. She did so on May 8 as Commencement for the Class of 2021 was held on Peterson Field in J. Leslie Rollins Stadium, mere feet from the lake upon which Storm Lake derives its name.
“I’m beyond grateful for the professors at BVU who challenged me and remained flexible with their schedules. I’m also thankful that so much of my financial aid came in scholarships and grants.”
Bibiana Elena Lemus
“My mother began crying when our car pulled into Storm Lake,” Lemus recalls. “As a first-generation graduate, these are the details you notice and remember.
Graduating from BVU is a milestone not only for me, but for my entire family. I am setting an example for my younger siblings, letting them know that with the right mindset and focus, anything is possible.”
Lemus, who graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, teaches preschool at St. Paul’s Lutheran Early Childhood Center in Council Bluffs. What she enjoys most about her work is the ability to develop relationships with children while watching them grow and satisfy their never-ending curiosity. Someday, she says, she’ll become a pediatric psychiatrist.
BVU helped put Lemus on that career trajectory through online courses that fit her busy work schedule, allowing her to remain employed full-time while earning her degree. The majority of her financial aid came via grants, awards that need not be repaid.
“I’m beyond grateful for the professors at BVU who challenged me and remained flexible with their schedules,” she says. “I’m also thankful that so much of my financial aid came in scholarships and grants.”
With her BVU diploma proudly displayed at home, Lemus continues to work while examining future options. BVU, which has set records for graduate school enrollment the past two years, remains at the top of her list as she stakes out a future that includes pursuit of a master’s degree to set her up for success in the field of psychology.
“The BVU staff reminded me as I was earning my bachelor’s degree that anything is possible,” Lemus says. “I was so excited and comfortable with BVU that it is now one of my top choices for graduate school.”