Story
Emily Nelson
Photography
Matt Jansen

The first time that Dominique Badajoz stepped foot in the state of Iowa was her first day of orientation. The Newport Beach, California, resident chose the University of Iowa sight unseen in order to better explore her roots.

“My tribal nation is Meskwaki Sac & Fox, and I didn’t really get to learn about it growing up,” Badajoz says. “Being able to come here and learn more about the culture and introduce myself to all the people on the settlement was really, really nice.”

Badajoz, who will graduate this month with a BA in studio arts and minors in informatics and Native American and Indigenous studies, says she accomplished her goal.

“I’ve become very connected to my tribal nation,” Badajoz says. “I am the powwow student coordinator and have been able to plan the University of Iowa Powwow for about three years now and have been president of the Native American Student Association. I’ve come to connect with a lot of family members out here and people from my tribe who have all pushed me forward and empowered me to do what I’m doing today and to be comfortable in my own skin as Native and also as Mexican.”

Dominique Badajoz

Hometown: Newport Beach, California

Degree: BA in studio arts, minor in informatics and Native American and Indigenous studies

What’s next: Returning to California and becoming a freelance artist.

Read more about Dominique’s Iowa experience

What is one of your favorite places on campus?

Somewhere that holds the best memories for me is the Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC). I was a programming assistant, and we used to make breakfast for each other. I vividly remember us burning a bunch of pancakes one day and then having a dance party due to it. I think that was probably one of my fondest memories of being there.

What is an organization or group that has meant a lot to you?

One of my first memories from the University of Iowa was the Iowa Edge program. Being able to move in a week before everyone else and meet of a bunch of students that grew up like me or looked like me was really empowering.

The Iowa Edge program gave me everything on campus that I ever needed. They introduced me to all the student organizations that I’ve been a part of. They introduced me to my mentors. They introduced me to my friends, my family, and my home away from home, the LNACC.

And I wanted to come back and do that for other students, especially first-generation, minority, or low-income students. I became an associate peer leader in the end, and I know that I left my mark in that program.

What do you remember about your first winter?

My first winter here was the polar vortex, so the wind chill got to negative 68 in Iowa City and they closed school for a day. My mom kept saying, “Bundle up, bundle up, bundle up.” And I hated snow boots, so I was just walking around in Vans half the time, which probably wasn’t the best idea.

But, you know, I got pretty acclimated to it in the beginning. And then COVID hit, and I went home, and now I’m not used to it at all.

What does resiliency mean to you?

Growing up as a Native American who didn’t really grow up with my tribe and a first-generation student, being resilient to me meant staying in college and pushing myself to be the best that I can be. I’m not always going to get that “A” and I’m not always going to get that 3.5 GPA at the end of the semester, but I know that I completed it to the best of my ability. I believe coming back every single semester and being excited to come back and being excited for my classes really showed me what resiliency meant. And I’m able to stand here and show all the younger Natives that we are here, and we do have a place on campus.

What are you thinking about as your undergraduate career is winding down?

I’m just sitting back and looking at everything, trying to make the most memories as possible, hanging out with as many friends as I can, and getting dinner with as many friends as I can. I’m just sitting back looking at the river and looking at the buildings and making sure that I remember this place as it is. I know that when I come visit in like 25 years, maybe these buildings will have changed just a little bit, so I’m making sure that I remember how it was when I was an undergraduate student.

What does being a Hawkeye mean to you?

The sense of pride as a Hawkeye is something I talk a lot about to people back home. Whether it was attending football games and sitting in line three hours before the gates even opened in order to sit in the first row every single game for two years and having my family see me on TV, or showing them around campus through photos and videos. It’s just that sense of family here.