Even as a 4-year-old, Litzy Lastra knew she wanted to attend college. Now this first-generation, outstanding graduate in family and consumer sciences at Colorado State University has achieved her life-long dream. Along the way, she had to overcome many obstacles including her father’s debilitating bout with COVID-19. 

Along with Lastra’s family and consumer sciences degree from CSU’s School of Education, she earned teacher licensure, which paired with her experiences working on campus, prepared her to create connections for future Rams as she starts her career as a teacher. 

Joining the CSU family 

Having grown up in Fort Collins, Lastra had a strong connection to CSU before stepping foot in her first class. 

“I joined a high school program, Upward Bound, that connects with CSU, and they help first-generation low-income students build a path to college. After being in the program for two years I made connections at CSU, knew the campus, and had a financial plan for college. I received a lot of support from CSU community, and I wanted to be a part of the family,” she said. 

Although she was supported along her educational path, Lastra’s journey to become an outstanding graduate was not clear of obstacles. 

“In March 2020, my second semester of college, my father got COVID-19 and he nearly lost his life. He lost all his body functions and his body restarted,” said Lastra. “He needed to relearn how to eat, move, talk, and do things on his own. When my father got better, we didn’t have insurance that covered a long-term facility stay where he could get the 24/7 care he needed. My family decided to bring him home and turn our living room into his hospital room. My mother quit her job and together we took care of my father all day, every day.” 

Amidst this family hardship, Lastra had a challenging time finding the will to complete coursework. This did not deter her from persevering and continuing her journey, however. 

“After my father got sick, I wanted to quit school because I saw no benefit in attending school while my parents were suffering at home. My mother sat me down and convinced me to keep on going, not only for myself but for them as well,” said Lastra. “I was halfway to the finish line, and I needed to keep working hard, focus, and finish the race I started. Now, I realize that I have beaten every boulder and wall that has been placed on my way to success, and that’s all thanks to the people around me who have changed my life for the better.” 

A community of support 

“One of the main reasons why I was successful is because the people around me believed in me. Not only did they believe in me, but they pushed me to keep going, do better, and they gave me reasons not to give up,” she said. 

While her father was fighting COVID-19, Lastra served as an interpreter for her family.  

“During and after calls with health officials, I would have to translate from English to Spanish for my family and explain what was happening so my family could be updated on everything,” said Lastra.  

“My professors and advisers understood that I had taken the role of interpreter and had to distance myself from what was happening in order to clearly explain things to my family. They knew how hard and traumatic those experiences were for me. They never failed to check on me, or even gather resources and supplies for my family when we needed it,” she said. 

Work at CSU and in Spain 

Lastra has been outstanding in her studies in family and consumer sciences and dedicated to her work for CSU. 

“I was an admissions ambassador for my first three years at CSU. I would give tours of campus in English and Spanish, talk with families, work the welcome desk, and help run events for students to learn what CSU has to offer,” Lastra said. 

During her second and third years at CSU, Lastra worked as an RA at Laurel Village on campus. She also worked closely with the School of Education during the last two years where she said she received “immense support and love. 

During her final semester, she has been student-teaching in Valencia, Spain, impacting students there and returning with a newfound sense of herself. 

“I never expected it to absolutely change my life for the better. The places and people I have met in Valencia have made me better, stronger, and wiser,” she said. 

“Getting to know my students and creating amazing memories together was fun and I enjoyed it,” Lastra said. “When I realized that I might never get to see my students again, it really put into perspective how far we are from each other and how incredibly lucky I am to have experienced them in my life.” 

Lastra returned to Colorado on May 3 and is eyeing graduation with a sense of pride.  

“I was always hard on myself and expected so much of myself because I felt like I needed to make up for my weaknesses. At CSU, I learned that they are not weaknesses, but they are just differences and imbalances in my brain, there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different,” Lastra said. 

“At CSU I got the help I needed and joined a program to help me learn about coping and centering skills to help me be successful. I had so many people around me who were supportive and helpful throughout my learning process and were patient with me when I needed extra help,” she said. 

Lastra is appreciative of CSU, saying that “it is like a little city inside Fort Collins, it feels like I have lived here for years and years. CSU will always be a home to me.” 

When asked about her future, Lastra distinguished one thing above all else. 

“Live my life to the fullest,” she said. “My plan is to apply to be a substitute at a local school district. That way I can build my own schedule and work when I can but also make time for myself to do activities that I usually did not have time for as a student.” 

“I also plan to spend a lot of time with my parents, especially helping my mother take care of my father. That way, she can catch her breath as well. After about a year I want to apply for a full-time teaching position at a high school with a family and consumer sciences program.” 

Family and Consumer Sciences is an undergraduate degree program offered by the School of Education, part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.