When Chelsi Valerio Tatis was growing up in El Duro, a small community of around 500 people in the Dominican Republic, electricity was only available certain portions of the day.
That changed with the arrival of a 24-hour system several years ago, but the town’s water system remains in service only three days per week, meaning residents must fill tanks to get by the other four.
“That’s honestly the biggest reason I wanted to come here,” said the College of Saint Benedict first-year student who is majoring in math on a pre-engineering track.
“I want to study civil engineering so I can go back to my country and run my own company to help improve the infrastructure.”
Overcoming obstacles
That’s an ambitious goal, but Tatis has already demonstrated the determination and ambition needed to pursue her dreams – no matter what obstacles stand in her way.
Her mother Eline was just 14 when Tatis was born, and they both lived with Tatis’ grandmother Yolanda and great-grandmother Mercedes.
“When she had me, she had to leave high school, but she was able to return,” Tatis said of her mother. “Then she started college, but had to stop for financial reasons. After she separated from my dad (who still lives nearby), she started college again with the support of my grandmother who was working to help her afford to finish.”
But that meant Eline had to move to a city two hours away for several years – both to finish her degree and to work afterward. So in addition to attending high school, 13-year-old Tatis also had to assume much of the responsibility for raising her sister Rubi (now 8) and brother Adriel (now 3).
Another brother on her father’s side, Alvin (now 2), lives just down the street.
“It got hard sometimes,” she recalled. “I felt like I was taking on responsibilities I wasn’t ready for. High school was eight hours – from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then after school, I’d go home and take care of my siblings. Finally, around 8 or 9 at night, they’d go to sleep and I’d do homework until 1 a.m. There were times I was only getting around five or six hours of sleep.”
Yet Tatis found time to serve as student body president and sing in her school choir.
“My friends would tell me I was taking on too much at once and I was going to have problems later,” she said. “But I figured out a way to manage it all. I was also involved in science competitions. Science has always been a big thing for me. I’ve always liked experiments or doing things that have to do with the environment or numbers.”
Enter Anna
Eline returned to El Duro several years ago to work in the accounting department at the local hardware store. But even before her mother left for college, Tatis had met another important figure in her life.
That was Anna Cron, a 2016 CSB graduate who was serving in the Peace Corps and spent two years living with Tatis family beginning when Chelsi was 11. She’s remained in close contact with her ever since.
“I was so amazed by how much leadership potential she had at such a young age,” recalls Cron, who attended high school at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park.
“She was the main person doing the readings at Catholic Mass every Sunday. She was the main person her teachers went to when they needed someone to organize student activities or family day. She was driven beyond her years in terms of communication, and it was clear she was someone her community relied on.”
Tatis tutored Cron in Spanish, especially the dialect spoken in the region around El Duro. At the same time, Cron helped her find ways to make her longstanding dream of attending college in the U.S. a reality.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to come to school here,” Tatis said. “Even when I was a little kid, I’d joke and tell people ‘You’ll see. I’m going to the U.S. to study.’ But when I met Anna, she showed me it was possible – that there were ways out there to make my dream real. She helped me find opportunities and fill out applications to universities here.
“I don’t know how to explain how I feel about her. I’m so grateful for all the help she’s offered me. We’ve become like family … honestly. Her parents live an hour away and they’re taking care of me now that I’m here.”
Tatis was accepted to Colorado State and several other schools, but it was CSB that offered the most affordable financial aid package. The fact that Cron had gone to school here and enjoyed her experience only enhanced the appeal – even though Tatis did not visit the campus in person until enrolling last September.
“Anna told me that one of the best things about Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s is that they are smaller than other places, which makes it easier for faculty to provide more resources and support to each student individually,” Tatis said. “That they make sure everyone feels like they’re at home here. And now that I’m here myself, I can see she was right.”
Thriving at CSB
Still, Tatis said adjusting to college life in Minnesota took some time.
“It was weird at first, of course,” she said. “I was feeling homesick and there was so much that was new. The weather, especially, was a big difference. But I made friends and connections that helped get me through that. Now I’m so grateful to be here.
“One of the things I’ve always liked about the community I come from is that – while we might have problems – if someone is in trouble, everyone is there to support them. We’re really close-knit, like a big family. And that’s how I feel about my professors, faculty and friends here.”
In addition to the scholarships and financial aid she received, Tatis is also working as a custodial assistant on campus and plans to take on a second job here this summer. Next fall, she will also serve as a resident assistant (RA).
Beyond that, around 120 donations have been made to a GoFundMe page set up to help fund the costs of her education, including many from CSB and SJU alums.
“Without this financial support, she would not have been able to receive her I-20 form from the college, allowing her to apply for a student visa and ultimately be able to study in the United States,” Cron said.
“I’m so thankful for all the help I’ve received, and I want to show everyone who has supported me that I will take advantage of this opportunity,” added Tatis, who still regularly FaceTimes with her family back in El Duro.
“I want to accomplish big things and make a difference in my country.”
Cron was recently back in El Duro, and said the people there are extremely proud of Tatis.
“Everyone asked how she was doing and told me they always knew she’d go far,” Cron said. “She has this innate curiosity and desire to make a difference, and she never allows any obstacles to stop her from moving forward.”
