FACING CHALLENGES HEAD-ON

By Joe Gombach

Beginning college in the midst of a pandemic proved challenging for students across the country. Felix Celestino UIC ‘21 is used to challenges and has spent his life overcoming them. A first-generation, gay Latino, he was raised by a single mother who immigrated from Mexico and worked hard to build a better life. Celestino grew up in a working-class, minority community before entering college in 2020. This past summer he received the William H. Blanning Graduate Award.

Celestino earned a 3.93 GPA in his first year, but when in-person learning began in the fall of 2021, he struggled with his coursework and his grades slipped. “I came to the difficult realization that I had undiagnosed learning disabilities,” he explained. Celestino was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD and able to get the necessary treatment and accommodations. He made the dean’s list every semester afterward.

As campus life returned to normal, Celestino was initially leery of joining a fraternity until some friends talked him into rushing Phi Psi. “Everything changed after meeting all of the guys,” he said. Illinois Theta’s diversity and easygoing atmosphere appealed to him. “There was never a moment when I felt uncomfortable because of my identity. It’s hard to describe, but I had this feeling you get when you’re welcomed and belong.”

Brotherhood had a special impact on Celestino. “As a child growing up without a father, I never had a male role model in my life,” he said. Now he strives to be one, “like the role models I found when joining Phi Psi.”

Celestino worked a number of jobs to support himself through school and still found time to participate in a long list of extracurriculars. In addition to assuming several leadership positions within his chapter, Celestino organized campus food drives, served in the student government, volunteered with the Gender & Sexuality Center, and founded the UIC chapter of a pre-law fraternity. He received numerous awards for his campus and community activism.

“As I went through my time at UIC, I saw things that could be better, so rather than wait for someone to do it, I did it myself with the help of those around me,” Celestino said. “Once I was a part of Phi Psi and saw all the opportunities to make a meaningful impact within the UIC and Chicago community, it was a no-brainer.”

As a resident advisor, Celestino witnessed retaliation against his peers who spoke out about insufficient working conditions and compensation. Having seen and experienced discrimination throughout his childhood, he decided to act and led an effort to force changes in the housing office.

Celestino is now in law school, pursuing a career in public interest law, with the goal of opening a legal clinic in his community and providing pro bono services. He said he carries forward an important lesson from The Creed. “The line, ‘to give aid and sympathy to all who are less fortunate,’ directly aligns with my goal.”

For more information on available scholarships, go to pkpfoundation.org/scholarships. The deadline for current applications is March 15, 2025.

Joe Gombach is a freelance writer and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.