Since María Paula Morales Palacios ’26 moved from Guatemala to Panama at four years old, she said she dreamt of experiencing different places and environments. Morales realized that dream with the opportunity to study at Lindenwood. Despite the initial culture shock, Morales found community through campus involvement and academic pursuits. By the time she graduated, Morales’s journey taught her as much about herself as it did the world around her.
Morales met a Lindenwood alumnus who introduced her to the University. Reflecting on receiving her acceptance letter from Lindenwood, Morales called it “the best thing that ever happened to me.” Morales described the calm campus as helping her alleviate some of the anxiety of her early experiences in the United States. Facing culture shock, relying on a second language, and missing her family, Morales found strength in advice given to her by her mother. “You don’t need to be fearless,” Morales said. “What you need to be is brave.”
Morales challenged herself and joined as many campus organizations as she could. She became a student ambassador and joined the Tri Sigma sorority where she served as the director of member development and the volunteer and inclusive excellence chairs. Morales said these experiences encouraged her to make connections with peers and faculty members. Through these daily interactions, Morales became a more confident English speaker. She recalls the Lindenwood University Gala and Lindenwood Showcase as important experiences. The gala offered her a structured opportunity to make professional connections, and the showcase served as proof of her growth as a speaker.
Developing relationships with faculty members helped Morales turn her newfound confidence into academic direction. Visiting faculty member Dr. Trey Warren and Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Barbara Hosto-Marti became important mentors. Prior to taking classes with Warren, Morales described seeing her international experience separately from her studies in the United States. Warren encouraged her to see her background as a valuable perspective she could bring to classroom discussions and research. Morales described Hosto-Marti as her “ride or die.” Morales says she felt comfortable bringing new ideas to Hosto-Marti and “she was always there for me for everything that I wanted to do.” This support and validation helped Morales to take on new challenges which included her becoming president of Lindenwood’s National Society of Leadership and Success chapter.
Morales graduated summa cum laude, a year earlier than scheduled. She completed double majors in international relations and political science with a pre-law emphasis, minors in psychology, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning, and a certificate in global fluency. This summer, she will participate in the Disney College Program for the second time. Through the program, Morales will work in a Disney park while taking part in classes and networking opportunities with Disney professionals. She hopes to learn more about roles in security, government relations, and social responsibility. Morales sees the program as an opportunity to use the confidence she developed at Lindenwood to make connections in a new environment. Morales plans to continue her education abroad and is currently exploring graduate programs in Europe.
Those next steps continue the growth Morales found at Lindenwood. As a student ambassador, Morales became familiar with Lindenwood’s “Discover Your Roar” message. She said she did not understand the phrase as a freshman. Over time, that changed. Morales built community and found her voice by showing grit in unfamiliar places. Morales learned that she did not need to be fearless to discover her roar, but she chose to be brave.