Jaqueline Villanueva Govea '26: From First-Generation Student to Mentor

Jaqueline Villanueva Govea is a senior from Houston, Texas, majoring in Sociology with minors in Education and Global Health. At Duke, she serves as vice president of the Senior Class Council, a Duke Presidential Ambassador and a senior advisor for DukeLIFE, supporting first-generation and low-income students. She is also a Cardea Fellow, a TSTAR senior advisor with the Undergraduate Research Support Office and a microbiology researcher in the Perfect Lab. In addition, she contributes to the Bass Connections SALUD program as an undergraduate researcher and health educator, and works at the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center. 

Villanueva Govea has been recognized as a WIN Scholar and received the Betsy Alden Outstanding Service Learning Award and the Forever Duke Award. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in education and will begin by serving with Teach For America. 

As graduation approaches, we asked Villanueva Govea to reflect on her time at Duke, the experiences that shaped her and the lessons she hopes to carry forward. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Is there a moment, experience, class or person at Duke that changed you? 

One of the people who shaped my experience most was my academic dean, Dean Settle. During my first week at Duke, she sent me a simple email welcoming me and inviting me to meet. At the time it felt like just another message but scheduling that meeting turned out to be one of the most important decisions I made. 

I arrived at Duke feeling overwhelmed and unsure if I truly belonged. When I met with her, she immediately created a space where I felt supported and seen. That relationship became especially important later that semester when I had to withdraw from a chemistry course. I had never withdrawn from a class before and felt like I had failed. Dean Settle helped me see that setbacks are not the end of the story. With her guidance I finished the semester strong and began thinking about challenges as opportunities to grow. 

As a first-generation low-income student, having someone who understood those experiences made a huge difference. She encouraged me to seek out resources, explore my interests and advocate for myself. Over time she supported me through major decisions, including stepping away from the premed path. This year she even served as faculty advisor for a house course I helped teach, which felt like a full-circle moment. Her mentorship showed me what leadership rooted in care can look like. 

Is there a part of yourself that you discovered or reclaimed during your time at Duke? 

At Duke I discovered that I could be a leader and mentor even without a formal title. For much of college I felt like I was simply trying to keep up while navigating new academic and personal challenges. But one thing I consistently did was ask questions and build connections with mentors and peers who helped guide me. 

Over time, I realized I was doing the same for others. I found myself sharing advice, connecting students to opportunities and encouraging classmates who felt discouraged. One moment that stands out was talking with a student who wanted to pursue research but felt defeated after being rejected from a program. I shared my own experiences with waitlists and rejections and encouraged her to keep exploring options like Bass Connections and the Undergraduate Research Support Office. She eventually found a path forward and will be joining my lab this summer. 

That experience helped me understand that mentorship doesn’t require a title. It’s about showing up, sharing what you’ve learned and helping others see possibilities they may not yet see for themselves. 

Looking back over the past four years, is there a small moment that turned out to be more impactful than you realized at the time? 

One small moment during my first semester ended up shaping my experience in a big way. My laptop was dying during a math class, so I moved to the back of the room to plug it in and sat next to a classmate named Maddie. We started talking and she immediately made me feel comfortable in a space that had felt overwhelming. 

At the time, I was struggling in chemistry and feeling anxious about whether I was keeping up. She reassured me that it was normal to feel that way and reminded me that one exam or class would not define me. Over the semester we continued sitting together and became friends. 

Even after the class ended, we stayed in touch. She helped show me around West Campus when I moved dorms and we would occasionally meet for lunch. That simple moment taught me how powerful small acts of kindness can be. It also changed how I approach spaces at Duke. I try to be open to connection and to offer that same encouragement to others. 

What advice would you give to your first-year self or to an incoming first-year at Duke? 

Be open to everything and trust that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. When I first arrived, I felt pressure to have a clear plan for my major and career. In reality, most of my growth came from trying new things, making mistakes and learning along the way. 

I would also tell myself to ask for help sooner. Some of my most important moments at Duke came from reaching out to mentors, going to office hours or leaning on friends. Asking for help doesn’t mean you don’t belong — it’s often how you begin to find your place. 

And don’t compare your journey to everyone else’s. A mentor once told me to “make your grass greener,” meaning focus on your own path and invest energy in what you are building. Your path is valid even if it looks different from others. 

As you prepare to graduate, what are you most grateful for from your time at Duke? 

I am most grateful for the people I met here. When I first learned about Duke, I had never visited campus. I remember looking at photos online and hoping it might become home. When I finally arrived, I felt both amazed and terrified. 

Over the years it was the people who turned Duke into a home. My friends in the Cardea Fellowship, coworkers at the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center and mentors in my lab and student organizations helped me navigate every stage of college. Professors across departments also challenged and inspired me to rediscover a love for learning. 

As a first-year, I often counted down the days until I could go home. Now, as graduation approaches, I realize Duke has become another home. What I will carry forward most is the sense of community and mentorship that shaped my experience. I hope to build that same kind of support wherever I go next.