Helping students navigate the college experience

Denison resident Alma Puga is the new campus services coordinator at Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) in Denison.

She started the job last week.

Puga follows Sandy Velasquez in the position; Velasquez was campus services coordinator from 2018 until she took the WITCC Denison Campus director position in November.

“I’ll be coordinating student services and activities, assisting with admissions, advising students and helping with financial aid like FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid),” Puga said.

“I’ll also be overseeing the use of technology on campus and providing technical support for students.”

Puga is a 2015 Denison High School graduate and received a Master’s Degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development from the University of Northern Iowa in August 2023.

She is guided in her new role by her experience as the first member of her family to attend college.

“I did my graduate research paper on first-generation students; it’s a topic I’m very passionate about because I’m a first-generation graduate,” Puga said. “I understand that first-generation students face additional obstacles pursuing higher education. My purpose and experiences motivate me to want to help others through their educational journeys.”

After high school, she worked for a time as a social worker, spent a year at Iowa Legal (formerly Norelius Nelson Law Firm), three years with the Nepper Law Frim, and also became closely involved with the Denison chapter of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens).

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“I knew that I wanted to help others and with LULAC I fell in love with the work – especially giving out scholarships to students,” Puga said. “In my graduate research paper, I investigated the specific factors of academic success, the sense of belonging, and overall well-being of Latino first-generation college students, specifically; through this research, I found first-generation college students face tremendous challenges because they have fewer resources and connections.”

She plans to use that knowledge in her new role.

“Western Iowa Tech has a great mission. It’s very student-centered and they’re always advancing in technology,” Puga said. “It’s a great community resource, not just for those who attend college here, but they’re doing a lot of things for the community, too.”

She noted that WITCC presented a Latino family night – camino al colegio – on Tuesday night this week.

The event was for community members, high school students and their parents; information about financial options and college resources was presented completely in Spanish.

“Not only are they serving the students who are currently enrolled, but they’re also trying to get other students to learn about college, even if they’re not going to attend Western Iowa Tech,” Puga said.

She is still learning the ropes at her new job.

“Luckily for me, Sandy was in this role for six years, so I have her to rely on,” Puga said. “I have a lot to learn when it comes to advising and doing events and student activities. I’ll be making trips to Sioux City to get acquainted a little bit more with their campus. I’ll meet other advisors at the Sioux City campus and also the Cherokee campus to learn from what they’re doing.”

Puga said she feels she has found the perfect place to use her skills.

“I want to be a mentor and resource for students. Both my siblings are in high school, right now,” she said. “I think of them and wanting to help them through FAFSA or any college questions that they have. I know how difficult it may be to go to college and try to cover the costs for tuition and the other issues students may face. I’ll do my best to be a mentor for my students.”

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