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Once again our dream came true: at Unicauca we welcomed 1,750 students!

Semester after semester, we dream that more young people from the department, the region, and the country will become Unicaucan@s. So, seeing this dream come true, it’s impossible not to go all out and give a welcome that will be truly memorable. For this reason, from January 27 to 31, 2024, we welcomed 1,750 new students with ‘FestiU: Getting to Know Your Home,’ a whole week full of exciting activities aimed at making the start of this important stage of life unforgettable and full of pure excitement! Discover how we celebrated the orientation of the first-semester students of the 2025-1 cohort in the cities of Popayán and Santander de Quilichao…

Probably, after realizing that you had been accepted to the University of Cauca, millions of thoughts came to your mind… “What will my faculty be like? What will my professors be like? Who will my classmates be?” And if, on top of that, you don’t live in Popayán, you probably wondered, “Where will I live? What will the city be like? Will my parents miss me at the farm?”, something completely natural. But surely, little by little, everything began to fall into place, until the big day arrived. That day, you woke up early, arrived on time, and began to notice the line of young people gathering to enter the famous CDU in Tulcán.

After the initial registration, you entered the coliseum, and with nerves running high, you looked for your faculty and sat next to your new classmates. While your anxiety lingered, you started listening attentively to two people speaking into the microphones, enthusiastically telling you that you were more than welcome. They presented some videos that moved you, and the anthem of your new home was sung. At that moment, you felt a little more at ease, a sense of calm that grew with the words of Rector Deibar René Hurtado Herrera, who invited you “…to take full advantage of this opportunity, because sometimes when we think about history, we feel like outsiders to it. To write history with us, to make these five years ones in which you have the chance to develop in the careers you have chosen, but also the opportunity to experience this institution politically, culturally, academically, in sports, and through all the other possibilities the university offers you.” With these words, your nervousness faded, giving way to excitement for the many opportunities ahead, and you began to enjoy every moment.

Later, you met the vice-rectors, the deans, and the two students with the highest admission scores to the University, who received recognition for this important achievement. Afterwards, the student representatives were introduced to the different university councils, and you got to hear about the various groups within Unicauca. Additionally, the university’s cheerleading team gave an incredible performance, showcasing their talent and connection with the audience, reflecting that here, everything is possible. In that moment, you understood the richness of the institution you have just joined, the diversity of experiences you can discover, and the universe of opportunities that this university, where lives are transformed and dreams become reality, has in store for you.

“The freshman welcome event seemed super cool to me, very complete and different. It’s something out of the routine, and it’s really enjoyable, you meet so many people. What caught my attention the most was the performance by the group of students doing acrobatics. I’m super happy, nervous, but I feel like I’m going to really enjoy this stage,” said Juan Sebastián Daza Ortiz with a huge smile, who comes from the municipality of Timbío to study Environmental Engineering. He chose the University of Cauca because of its trajectory and outstanding performance in different areas of knowledge, and also because he considers that the curriculum of his chosen program is very complete.

For her part, Nicol Valeria Cuaran Anacona, originally from the municipality of Valencia (Cauca), who enrolled in the Business Administration program because she loves numbers and excels in this area, shared that she feels a bit scared about coming to a new city and being away from her family. “That’s the hardest part of coming to university, because you’re leaving your family behind, leaving the life you had to come to another city, but you have to do it. At the same time, I’m very happy. What stood out to me the most during the welcome was how each representative spoke, when they said that if one receives it publicly, one also gives it publicly,” Nicol concluded, a mix of emotions evident in her words.

Thus, from this house of thought, we understand what the beginning of this new stage means, because many of us who are part of this institution today also arrived on a Monday at CDU-Tulcán, full of dreams. That is why the Vice-Rector’s Office for Culture and Wellbeing prepared an entire week to support you through this transition, together and in the best possible way. On Monday afternoon, we conducted a tour of the different spaces of the University, and in the evening, we started the Parents’ School in our iconic Francisco José de Caldas Auditorium, the space where, in a few years, we will return your sons and daughters with a professional degree.

And since we had such intense days, here’s a quick summary of what we experienced: on Tuesday, we awarded those who completed the tour (and, by the way, recognized the most outstanding students), presented opportunities for academic mobility and funding, and enjoyed creative workshops, laboratories, heritage spaces, and discussion sessions. Wednesday was a day of recreation and sports, and the PermaneSer Program offered a training workshop. On Thursday, the Division of Integral Health Management and Human Development organized various activities, because your well-being at the University is our priority. To close the day, we shared a movie afternoon with snacks and artistic expressions, a true hangout!

While students at the Popayán campus participated in their activities, on Thursday we opened the curtain at our Northern Campus, located in the municipality of Santander de Quilichao. The first part took place at the Casona, where, as in CDU-Tulcán, the opening words were delivered by Rector Deibar René Hurtado Herrera, this time through an engaging video. Later, the Academic Vice-Rector, Aída Patricia González Nieva; the Vice-Rector of Culture and Wellbeing, Pedro Aníbal Yanza Mera; and the deans offered heartfelt messages that filled the new Unicaucanos with enthusiasm. At the event, the two students with the highest admission scores were recognized, and student representatives took the opportunity to introduce themselves to this new generation.

The day concluded with an exciting scavenger hunt on the University Campus, where, amid laughter, jumps, and joyful moments, the new students broke the ice and began familiarizing themselves with what will be their home for the next five years. On Friday, the welcome continued on the university campus with games and workshops organized by the Vice-Rector’s Office of Culture and Wellbeing, allowing students to learn about all the services available for their well-being. The #FestiU successfully concluded with the Parents’ School, leaving a delightful experience for all attendees.

“I joined the University of Cauca, in the Agroindustrial Engineering program, because I want to support my community, showing that rural areas have great value, not as we’ve always seen it, or as if we have to rely on intermediaries to sell our products, but that we ourselves, strengthening our skills through training and education, can innovate and improve the quality of life for each of our campesinos and indigenous people,” expressed Franky Yesid Troches Tutinás, a young social leader from the Nueva Colombia vereda, municipality of Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), Mondomo district, whom we are proud to have in our classrooms today.

For her part, Dazuley Lucumí Ortiz, from the municipality of Suárez (Cauca), who enrolled in the Modern Languages Program, stated: “This welcome space is very good, because just as we are starting, we can learn new things. A message I want to give to the students is to follow their dreams and never give up. If it is possible to enter university, it can be done with enough dedication.”

In this way, this institution, which beats with blue and red, which is #HeritageOfAll and is preparing for its bicentennial, dreams semester by semester that more young people become Unicaucanos and Unicaucanas. Seeing this dream realized each academic period fills our hearts with joy and drives us to work tirelessly to continue facilitating access to higher education for every young dreamer in the department of Cauca and our region.

Finally, we reiterate our sincerest welcome to this new generation, wishing them the best stage of their lives, where they will transform and make their dreams come true. You are now officially #ProudlyUnicaucanos!