Season of Growth
“Central professors are amazing at helping you. I could go to any of my professors, and they’re always more than willing to help. Their doors are always open, ready for you to come in. Coming to a small school, you have that perk and can have that connection with your professors. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want that.”
— Amber Santana ’25
Hometown: Indio, California
Major: Kinesiology
Minor: Spanish
Scholarships: Presidential, Distinguished, Central Heritage, Trustee
Campus Activities: Women’s Soccer, Toothbrush Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Career Goal: Chiropractor
For California native Amber Santana ’25, the first glimpse of Pella and Central College in the winter was an exciting change from the desert. Despite the cold temperatures during her first visit to campus, Santana experienced nothing but warmth.
“I fell in love with the snow,” Santana says. “It’s so pretty on our campus. Winter here is like a fairytale.”
She didn’t stumble onto Central’s campus by chance. Following in the footsteps of her brother, Santana was excited to trade in the crowded, desert cities for four stunning seasons and a small-town feel.
Siblings Eric Santana ’22 and Amber Santana ’25 both found their home at Central College.
“My brother Eric Santana ’22 was here before me,” Santana shares. “I came out to visit him and I fell in love with Central. I’d never been to the Midwest before that. It was very calm and different from big cities in California. There’s a slower pace of life, and I loved it right away.”
“During my visit, I met some of the girls on the team and my soccer coach, Mike Kobylinski ’03. It felt like family,” she continues. “Everyone is so welcoming. They care so much about you and want you to come here, even if they don’t know you yet.”
Despite being miles away from her hometown, Santana wasn’t worried about not knowing anyone at Central. Her first experience with the women’s soccer team set the stage for the strong relationships she would continue to build.
“During my first visit to Central, the soccer girls invited me to join them and go to the movies and go sledding,” Santana shares. “They didn’t even know me yet, but they wanted to get to know me. That’s what I wanted to do at college. I want to be around people that are excited to get to know you.”
Her experience as a student-athlete supported Santana’s introduction to life as a college student. The lessons Santana learned will stay with her as she works toward graduate school and a professional career.
“Being a student-athlete can be challenging at times, but it’s so worth it,” Santana says. “You meet some of your best friends while also learning how to manage everything going on in your life. Coming in right away, you get hit with being a student-athlete, so I was learning how to do the college thing while learning to be an athlete at the same time. I think that sets you up tremendously for a lot of other things in life.”
Student-athletes at Central are encouraged to give their sport their all, but they never forget that they are students first.
“Classes can be a lot, but that’s college!” Santana says. “You’re coming to college, and it’s going to be a little difficult at times. It is manageable and if you stay on top of your work, you’ll get it done.”
Santana started her academic career as a biology major. As she began taking classes and talking with faculty members, she realized her calling was somewhere different.
“I realized that I like the human aspect of kinesiology, and that’s where I found my niche,” she says. “It’s what I wanted and where I strived.”
One thing that Santana has learned in the classroom is that she’s never truly alone, and there’s support wherever she looks.
“Central professors are amazing at helping you,” Santana shares. “I could go to any of my professors, and they’re always more than willing to help. Their doors are always open, ready for you to come in. Coming to a small school, you have that perk and can have that connection with your professors. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want that.”
Santana is kept busy with soccer and classwork, but that doesn’t mean that her college experience is all work and no play.
“I love Lake Red Rock! I love going there at night because the stars are beautiful,” she shares. “You can see everything so clearly here. It’s such a huge lake, and I’ve found my favorite points where I like to go. It’s so peaceful.”
As Santana looks ahead to her future, she knows she made the right decision in choosing Central. The memories she’s built and the experiences she gained will make all the difference in what comes next.
“I don’t know what’s in the future yet, but I know everything I’m doing here is going to set me up perfectly for my future. New chapters are always exciting.”