Some students join clubs purely to have something to put on their resumes. Krystal Castaneda, senior in kinesiology and health and pre-med, had a greater reason to join clubs: to make her parents proud.

“My parents grew up in the Philippines and never went to college. So when they got to America, they wanted to raise their children to be successful,” Castaneda said. “I’m just trying to make them proud.”

Castaneda, who is from Rockford, Ill., said that her parents always encouraged her and her brother to work hard in middle school and high school so they could receive scholarships and one day go to college.

“They didn’t want my brother and I to have the same life that they did,” she said. “So they really wanted us to work hard in school and try to be involved in everything we could.”

Castaneda said she went on a campus visit to Iowa State and “absolutely fell in love with the campus.” She said the people on campus were very open and nice and that she was impressed with Iowa State’s science program.

When enrolling at Iowa State, Castaneda said she wanted to major in biology and pre-med. However, the summer before her freshman year, she changed her mind.

“Over the summer, my Cyclone Aid was a pre-med student and she told me about how amazing kinesiology was,” Castaneda said. “Biology is a great major, but it just wasn’t for me.”

When she finishes school, Castaneda would like to become a pediatrician. But before attending medical school, which she plans to do, Castaneda said she would like to take a bit of a break.

“I know when I’m in med school, I’ll be really busy,” she said. “I would like to travel more and have some more experiences before I continue with my career.”

She explained that after graduating from Iowa State, she plans to do Camp Adventure, a service-learning program that offers college students opportunities to work at youth camps across the globe.

“I already have some experience with medicine,” Castaneda said. “I want to have more experience working with kids.”

While at Iowa State, Castaneda has been involved in a few medical-related programs. For instance, during her freshman year, Castaneda participated in cardiovascular research through the Honors Program.

“I pretty much did a nurse’s job for an EKG technician,” she said.

Castaneda was involved in the students-to-students peer education program for Thielen Student Health Center. She said she would talk to students about alcohol abuse and other problems.

In addition to those previously mentioned activities, Castaneda also has been involved with Chi Omega sorority, the Government of the Student Body as a senator for the College of Human Sciences, the GSB Social Justice and Diversity Task Force, College of Human Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Council, the George Washington Carver Academy, Homecoming Central, and the Asian Pacific American Awareness Coalition.

Castaneda has been recognized with membership in the Cardinal Key, Sigma Alpha Lambda Leadership honor society, Order of Omega Greek honor society and Beta Beta Beta Biological honor society.

“If I wasn’t a part of those organizations, I don’t know what I would be,” Castaneda said. “I think they make the college experience a lot better.”

When she was told that we was the 2011 Homecoming queen, Castaneda was “shocked.”

“I was very surprised and grateful that they chose me,” she said. “And hopefully I made my family proud. My family is in the back of my mind all of the time.”