Zoom and online courses are notoriously hard on teachers and students alike. But speaking to Tingxuan Lu via Zoom is anything but the tedious online meetings many are used to. 

Making online formats engaging is Lu’s specialty. Lu’s research looks into how online courses can foster self-regulated learning skills. As a fully online graduate student, Lu has seen the challenges of being a remote learner firsthand. Her insights are also informed by the work that she completed as a graduate teaching assistant, where she saw how online learning can be hard on the instructors, too. 

“(The instructors) also want to support the students, especially online, but they found it challenging as it’s hard to connect with students, and there’s a lack of accountability and responsibility for that,” Lu said.

Lu is a PhD student in Idaho State University’s Instructional Design program, and this field allows her to understand where professors and design may be falling short in online classes. Additionally, she works with colleagues and professors to create multimedia instructional videos using avatars. 

“Our project is working on just how we can design avatars (so they can) next month, to facilitate online students’ learning.” Lu said, “We know a lot of teachers; they don’t want to show their face, and they are kind of a camera-afraid person.”

Lu’s internships and studies have taken her across America. Originally from Shanghai, Lu moved to Kansas to attend Emporia State University for her first Master’s degree. An internship in Salt Lake City was Lu’s next stop, and while completing her internship, Lu uncovered her love for teaching. Her husband was in Idaho State University’s EdD program, and these studies inspired her to attend ISU for further education. 

“I realized I may change my career because I really do love teaching,” Lu said. “So I just wondered, is there any possibility I could get a teaching degree and a certificate because I am an international student. I don’t have any background in K-12 in the United States.”

The Master of Arts in Teaching program was just what Lu was seeking. Lu’s teaching has brought her back to Emporia State University, where she now serves as a learning designer. 

One of Lu’s biggest challenges was believing in herself as an international student. Initially, Lu was shy and uncomfortable in her courses, but her professors eventually became her mentors and friends. One meeting with Professor John H. Curry, Interim Associte Dean of Organizational Learning and Performance, stands out as pivotal.

“As an international student from the Asian cultural environment, we are supposed to be very competitive,” Lu said. “Dr. Curry gave me some inspiration - yes, you can be competitive, but you don’t need to be other people.”

After this meeting, Lu found her strength in networking. Over the years, Lu has attended the Association for Educational and Community Technology (AECT) several times. Lu began to understand that her role in academia was to bring AECT to other students and faculty. 

AECT was a place for Lu to present her research on instructional design, but it was also a place for her to make connections and grow her confidence. As she presented, Lu became more confident. Now, Lu helps other graduate students access the same conference opportunities. 

Lu’s advice for other graduate students is simple - be confident and ask questions. 

“In the working environment, it’s also good to ask questions, but if you ask too much, it’s not a good thing,” Lu said. “But in academia, no matter what kind of questions you are asking, there are no silly questions because your professors are always there to help you.”

Speaking to her fellow international students, Lu knows it can be easy to sit in the back, but she encourages others to speak up. Through speaking up, Lu has created a professional network that helped her land her current position.

Lu’s interest in online courses and their potential is inspiring. The future design of these courses may be uncertain, but one thing is for sure - Lu’s bold ideas will lead her into a bright future.

As music blasts from the Latin superstar, Bad Bunny’s, speakers, ISU alumni Sam Castro danced with her cousin and reflected on the exciting journey that had taken her from small-town Burley, Idaho, to bustling South America. 

“I think what really made it special and worthwhile was that every time I turned around, my cousin was behind me,” Castro said, “All the struggles, all the pain, all the heartbreak, all the mess-ups - it took all of it to get me to the person I am today.”

Castro’s job at Fuse Media gave her access to this concert. As she has at other times in her life, Castro decided to take on the adventure.

Castro had a big dream - to make it to New York City. She grew up in Burley, Idaho, where she was raised by a single mom. Castro wasn’t even thinking of attending college until she met her TRIO advisor, Maria McCabe. 

“I saw someone that looked like me and had a similar family background, and I thought, ‘Oh, so school is attainable for someone like me’,” Castro said. 

Castro was the first generation in her family to pursue higher education past grade school. She chose ISU because of the affordability, and stayed for a Master’s of Business Administration in Marketing. She discovered her master’s program through involvement with TRIO, where she was working as a social media manager. 

“They told me, ‘Hey, if you go back to school, you will have an assistantship with us,’” Castro said. “And while I knew they wanted me for the assistantship, I still had to get into school.”

After some confusion about where her test scores needed to be, Castro became discouraged about getting into graduate school. But when she realized that her score was closer to admission than she thought, she tested and applied again. This time, she got in. 

New York City was in her sights the whole time. To quench her thirst for adventure, Castro studied abroad in Spain during her undergraduate studies. Castro pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish. 

While abroad in Spain, a roommate asked about what was next for her, she reflexively said New York City. 

“My roommate asked me - ‘Why New York?’ and I said, ‘You know what - I don’t know’,” Castro stated, “I think part of it was the confidence I gained in Spain - I realized that I can do hard things.” 

But this excitement was not the same as preparation. 

“When I graduated, I had like $4 in my bank account. And I thought, ‘Okay, so where’s my job, guys?’” Castro said, “I was just doing everything I was told to graduate, to get to the finish line, but I didn’t realize that other people were actually prepping for that finish line. 

This stress, along with the assistantship offered by TRIO, made graduate school a clear solution, but Castro didn’t realize how difficult graduate school would be. 

“I didn’t know there was a difference when you went to grad school, so I kept doing what I’ve done in undergrad,” Castro said. 

Professor Alex Rose pulled Castro aside early on in her graduate school career to stress the importance of talking to others in her classes and creating more depth in her thinking through her education. 

Castro spent the rest of her education working diligently for TRIO’s social media and attended conferences where she presented on how to affect the algorithm. Her marketing classes reinforced what she was learning through her assistantship, and by the time graduation came, Castro was ready for the field. 

“I sold my car, sold everything I owned. I just kind of bought a one-way ticket, and crossed my fingers and hoped for the best,” Castro said. “I was crashing at a friend’s place on her sofa, but my savings were dwindling.”

After six months of job hunting, Castro got an interview with Fuse Media, where she currently works as a social media coordinator. 

New York City has been filled with challenges and excitement for Castro. From experiences like seeing Bad Bunny with her cousin in Puerto Rico to navigating public transport, Castro is proving that if Grad Bengals can make it there, they can make it anywhere!

Choudhury Hamza is a Public Administration student studying disaster preparedness with a focus on Bangladesh and their multi-disaster approaches. He is highly involved on campus through his work with the Bangladesh and Muslim Club. 

Hamza is also serving on the Graduate Council. They discuss funding for students like himself, money that he has directly received. 

“Last semester I presented at the ASPA Conference (American Society for Public Administration), which happened in Washington D.C.,” Hamza said. “It’s good that I got funding from ISU through the Graduate School to plan for that.”

Hamza is a hard-working and thoughtful professional. Academic councils are faculty-centered areas of academia, so graduate students are held to a high standard. 

Hamza is no stranger to the effort it takes to be on a council. Hamza echoes his strong spirit of involvement through his work with the Graduate School and other clubs on campus. 

“I love to volunteer for these associations, and I also love to gather together and discuss what the community is thinking,” Hamza said. 

Hamza’s work with the Graduate Council is focused on requirements for graduation, funding, and standards for graduate students. The council meets twice a month to discuss submitted proposals. 

The work of these councils shapes ISU through making major decisions, and although it can be intimidating work, Hamza says that the Graduate Council put him at ease.

“On the very first day, Dr. Tracy Collum just introduced me to others and said, don’t sit back, you have the whole floor,” Hamza said. “And it gave me confidence. Also, the environment there was very cozy and gave me the space to speak up.” 

Hamza looks forward to helping with disaster preparedness approaches in the US and in Bangladesh.

Leticia Herrera is a passionate Experimental Psychology researcher whose work is focused on central nervous system injuries of the brain and spinal cord. She also currently serves on ISU’s research council.

In order to compile her extensive research, Herrera meets with a team of fellow researchers to train and operate on the neonatal rats. 

“My research focuses on motor behavior after a spinal cord injury in neonatal rats,” Herrera said. “We used to think that there was no communication between the brain and spinal cord in these injuries, but with early age rats and treadmill training, we are seeing movements in the hind limbs.”

On the Research Council, Herrera works alongside faculty to establish standards and policies for research at the university. This council spends a lot of time making funding decisions, as well as choosing which faculty members receive the Distinguished Researcher award. 

“As a grad student, it felt kind of crazy to review a tenured professor’s research for funding, and I was scared at first,” Leticia said. “This was a very intimidating role that became a very amazing role.”

As the eldest daughter and a first-generation college student, Herrera is no stranger to intimidating roles. After her mother was diagnosed with brain tumors, Herrera saw firsthand how small changes in the nervous system can change someone’s life. It was then that she decided to pursue central nervous system research. 

“If I’m a part of something, I give it my all.”  Herrera said, “I am the Grad Student Representative for Experimental Psychology and love to go to undergraduate research events to see what is being done there. ”

Herrera wants other graduate students to focus on their own journey, and to try their best not to compare themselves to others. Additionally, she pushes for students to put themselves out there.

“It’s hard in grad school, but don’t be afraid to ask for help,”  Leticia said. “As a professional, it can be scary, but other grad students would love to help you, as would your professors.”

In the future, Herrera will seek her Ph.D. in experimental psychology. 

Dr. Tali Rotman is a recent and first graduate of the Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences program. Tali graduated in May 2025 and will begin her position as an assistant professor for Idaho State University in June, where she will be teaching, conducting research, and working in the audiology clinic on the Meridian campus.

"This position brings together everything I love about the field of audiology, and I’m truly excited to return to ISU—this time as a faculty member," she said. "I believe my experience as a former student will provide valuable insight and perspective in my work as a professor and researcher."

Tali believes her greatest accomplishment throughout her graduate school career, and what she is most proud of, is the recognition and confidence shown by the faculty in inviting her to join their team as both an instructor and a researcher after graduation.