A Vision for Educational Transformation

When Mateo Gomez Bedoya ’26 came to America from Colombia seven years ago, he brought with him a clear sense of purpose and vision for his future. Today, at Elmhurst University, the senior double majoring in secondary education and Spanish, with double minors in Italian and ESL, is building the foundation to bring his dream of empowering the next generation to life.

From his strategic college choice to his ambitious career aspirations, Gomez is forging a path to make a profound impact on immigrant learners. His passion for education and a firsthand understanding of the immigrant experience fuels him. Elmhurst’s curriculum, which provides a well-rounded education and professional preparation, is the vehicle taking him where he wants to go.

Academic Growth, Mentorship and Community

Sticking to a plan to build on the athletic skills he honed in high school, Gomez played soccer during his first two years at Elmhurst. But he eventually stepped away to focus on academics and campus leadership.

“It took me four months to get to the decision that I was going to step down from soccer,” he said. “It was really hard, but academically, what I’m doing is what’s going to help me in the future.”

Like his decision to move on from soccer, Gomez’s transition to the university setting was hard too, he said. In high school and back in Colombia, he had grown accustomed to being in one building and knowing what to do and when to do it. That changed at Elmhurst.

“It was a rough transition. It was hard to adapt,” he said. “I’m an immigrant. I’m a first-generation student. I didn’t know how college looks. You have to find your classes. You have to prepare every day. Every day is different. And the first day, I got lost. I didn’t know where my class was. I was late to my class.”

He credits that first semester with getting him acclimated to the Elmhurst community and what was expected of him as a college student. With interconnected subjects and fields, the Elmhurst model has brought the best out of Gomez — in and out of the classroom.

Now, Gomez is excelling academically, developing a thirst for learning and embracing challenges with an open mind — all while being deeply embedded in campus life.

He is in the Honors Program and is a member of the education and languages honors societies. His academic pursuits have opened the door to career- and life-building experiences. He has presented at regional and national research conferences, and has developed culturally responsive curricula for foreign language and English-as-a-second-language classes. He also has traveled across the United States with the Honors Program and other organizations, visiting places like the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and the African American Museum.

Gomez said it’s all been possible thanks to the deeply engaged Elmhurst faculty. They’ve challenged him to be a creative problem-solver and to develop a flexible set of skills.

“That has all come from classes; that has all come from my professors, from my mentors,” he said. “I can name all my professors that I’ve had for the past three years, and all of them have contributed tremendous knowledge and have taught me a lot of lessons — a lot of life lessons, a lot of academic lessons.”

He names Mary Kay Mulvaney, English professor and director of the Honors Program, and Spanish Professor Beatriz Gomez Acuna as two of the mentors who have shaped his teaching philosophy and challenged him academically. As active teachers, scholars and practitioners, they’ve provided Gomez with a relevant, timeless education and a versatile skill set that will nurture enduring success.

“They have shaped me into the type of teacher I want to be” he said. “They have taught me so much,” he said. “So, so much.”

When he’s not studying, Gomez is fulfilling his duties as president of Kappa Delta Pi, the education honor society; and as vice president of Alpha Mu Gamma, the honor society for languages. He is also a student ambassador and is involved with Cru.

“I have met some of the most amazing people at this university,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to have gone through all of this year, through all of this semester, without my community.”

A Plan to Transform Education

Although he’s adamant about transforming education as a professional, Gomez wasn’t always so sure about his choice. His family in Colombia viewed teaching as an out-of-the-box choice, a “mediocre job” that didn’t pay enough and contradicted his community’s focus on business and capitalism. He initially explored careers in business, working in marketing and sales at State Farm during high school and his freshman year of college.

He soon realized his career was missing something: The ability to positively impact people’s lives.

“I was not helping anyone directly,” Gomez said. “You have to help people, like they have helped you for the past four years in America.”

This realization, coupled with an enlightening conversation with Supt. Jean Barbanente of DuPage High School District 88, changed the course of Gomez’s immediate future. As he remembers it, Barbanente told him: “Mateo, in the 27 years that I’ve been here, I have never seen anyone as passionate as you.” It was then that Gomez was sure he wanted to pursue education. Before his first semester at Elmhurst, he changed his major from business administration and international business to secondary education and Spanish.

When he graduates, Gomez has grand plans. Believing all students are capable of achieving and going above and beyond academically and socially, Gomez is an advocate for higher standards — especially for immigrant learners — rigorous curriculum and culturally responsive teaching. His ultimate goal is to reform America’s ESL system. As a former ESL student, he understands the vital need for change. He envisions a system in which immigrant students learn English quickly during their first two years of high school, allowing them to transition into honors or AP courses and have a better chance at college and scholarships.

“If we give them the language, if they’re able to learn the language within those first two years, they’re going to make it, and they’re going to be a great part of this American society that we need,” Gomez said.

Inspired by figures like Miguel Cardona, who served as U.S. secretary of education under President Joe Biden, Gomez would like to become a superintendent, perhaps at a large urban district like Chicago Public Schools, or even a future secretary of education someday. “When you see someone like you who has had that position, you imagine, right? You dream,” Gomez said.

Elmhurst: A Home and a Launchpad

To Gomez, the Elmhurst experience is bigger than earning a degree: It’s a place to build lifelong connections, and gain the knowledge and skills to thrive both academically and personally.

“At Elmhurst University, you’re not going to get a general education. You’re going to get a personalized and unique social experience,” said. “Elmhurst will be your home. It’s not just an institution. It’s not just a set of buildings. It’s your house. It’s your family.”

Go Far. Do Well. Visit elmhurst.edu/Admission to take the first step toward your future.