Calista Chaidez

Calista Chaidez is a driven first generation Wheaton student simultaneously earning a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Masters in Higher Education and Student Development. 

Raised in a family where higher education was not the norm, Calista was introduced to Wheaton by her aunt, who, while not an alumna of the college, attended Wheaton football games and spoke highly of its Christian community. This exposure sparked Calista's interest, leading her to apply and attend Wheaton.

College life was an adjustment for Calista. Navigating the unique challenges of being a first-generation student, she found guidance and mentorship in Wheaton's 1-2-1 program. This mentorship proved pivotal in helping her feel rooted in the Wheaton community. 

During her sophomore and junior years, Calista began to discern her calling. She planned to enter into clinical psychology, but felt drawn to use the theories she was learning in the classroom in student development.Thus, during her sophomore year, she reached out to Dr. Olga Dietlin, head of the HESD program. By the following year, she'd applied and been accepted into the accelerated HESD track.

Drawing from her psychological studies and faith, she approaches student development with a holistic lens, understanding that students are complex individuals influenced by their experiences, backgrounds, and unique struggles. Her experience in Unidad, Wheaton's Hispanic student community, has also contributed to her ability to understand and appreciate the complexity of students' identities and how diversity can be both celebrated and integrated into the broader campus community. 

Calista's experience in the HESD program has been incredibly transformative. "I have found great purpose and enjoyment in my HESD work," she reflects, "and it's been so much more fulfilling than my undergraduate experience." The mentorship and guidance she receives from faculty like Dr. Dietlin and Dr. Setran, as well as the support of her HESD peers, has affirmed her sense of calling to work with students in higher education. 

As Calista moves forward, she is committed to being a catalyst for positive change in the lives of students. She believes that the holistic development she is experiencing at Wheaton is not just about her personal growth but also about learning to help others thrive. "I'm being holistically developed to help develop others," she says, with a sense of purpose and conviction.