Name: Natalia Montiel
Major: Multidisciplinary studies
Classification: Freshman
Graduation date: Fall 2027
Hometown: Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Extracurricular activities: “I started going to the gym with my friend and at the beginning, I kind of had a panic attack because there were a lot of people. … I go to the gym. I like to play music in my house and dance. Also, I like doing arts and crafts. I’m very good at it and it really helps my anxiety. So, I like to hang out with my friends.”
What are the differences between your hometown and the U.S.? “I think the main one [is] the people. It’s very different in Matamoros. We say, like, here it’s like raza and it’s different but I got used to it. … But yeah, it will be the people. It’s different, but I like it. It’s a good difference.”
What is on your bucket list? “I really want to go to London and New York. London because there’s the original Museum of Harry Potter. There’s a lot of original things in there. I want to go because I love Harry Potter. I read all the books and I know all the facts, and New York because I want to go to Broadway. I want to see a show. If God lets me in the future, I would really like to go to Broadway one day.”
Who is your role model? “My role model is my big sister. … She’s already working and has her own home. Since I was a little girl, I remember when I would see her I would be like, ‘I want to be like her.’ Like, I want to be confident. I want to work hard. I want to be an independent woman. And so, yeah, I think I would say her.”
Why did you choose multidisciplinary studies as your major? “I really didn’t know how I was gonna do it and sometimes I still get scared of, like, ‘What if my major is not enough?’ … But when I went to my adviser, I told him what I wanted to do. … I wanted to study dance and theater, but also entrepreneurship. Something in the area of business because it will be, like, my plan B or something, you know, that I can maybe start with. And he was like, ‘OK, but you need to choose’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know, I really want [these] three. I don’t want to just choose one or two.’ And then, that’s when he told me that there’s a major that lets you study three minors, and you don’t have to say goodbye to one.”
What’s your favorite childhood memory? “I have a lot of them. I think I had a pretty beautiful childhood. The first thing that comes to my mind is that I remember my little sister and our … obsession with Barbies. I loved those memories, but like, we always put the CDs on and watch all the movies that we had from Barbie and we kind of recreated them. We use what we had with our clothes and recreate the scene and the characters. We were fooling around. I remember that a lot. I loved being with her.”
What advice would you give other international students? “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes I struggle with asking for help because I don’t want to bother anyone, but don’t be afraid. There’s always going to be help. There’s good people. I know sometimes you really feel like you are alone in this world and like you really can’t get out. Like my family told me, there’s always a light; someone is always going to help you. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to get out in the world because that’s something I had trouble too, like, getting out of my comfort zone. So, do it, be open to new experiences, new people. In the end, it’s all worth it.”
–Compiled by Fatima Gamez Lopez
