Davenport University’s first three Casa Latina graduates will walk across the stage this weekend to receive their graduate certificates in Urban Education – Bilingual.  Marina Masterman, Maria Cruz-Andino and Tylisha Washington are the first students to complete the innovative program and will celebrate surrounded by their friends and family.

“We’re proud of these students,” said Carlos Sanchez, executive director of Davenport’s Casa Latina program. “Not only are they the first to graduate from Casa Latina, but they did so with their own classrooms of students and their families cheering them on.”

Casa Latina, Davenport’s ground-breaking bilingual education program, enrolled its first student in the fall of 2024 with 12 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs available. Davenport expanded the program in 2025 to include three additional associate degrees and two more graduate certificates. Students can now pursue certification and degrees using this bilingual model in business, technology, health and urban education.

Marina Masterman was born and raised in Costa Rica, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. She moved to the United States in 2015 and now resides in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She is a third-grade Spanish immersion teacher at Three Fires Elementary School in Howell Public Schools.

“I’ve always loved working with children, and teaching allows me to make a real impact,” Masterman said. “Even though there are no native Spanish speakers in my classroom, it’s incredible to see how much my students have grown. They truly are like little sponges, absorbing new vocabulary and concepts.”

Howell Public Schools’ dual-language immersion program, Academia Bilingüe, serves students beginning in kindergarten and expands each year as the program grows. Currently, it includes students through third grade, with those students continuing into fourth and fifth grade in the coming years.

Masterman has always been bilingual. She found that Casa Latina was the best path to secure her teaching certificate, as it met both her personal and professional needs.

“It’s definitely doable,” Masterman said. “The coursework is online, which makes it flexible, but it also requires commitment. I often worked before and after school and on weekends to stay on track. That said, if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s a great way to balance your professional goals with your personal life.

“It’s nice to have professors who are also bilingual. As bilingual educators, we’re switching languages all day long. It’s how our brains work.”

For Maria Cruz-Andino, Davenport’s Casa Latina program gave her a pathway to teach in the United States and a way to improve her English.

Cruz-Andino received her teaching degree in Puerto Rico, but when she moved to Michigan at 45, she found that without fluency in English, she could only find jobs in manufacturing.

“I love teaching; I love studying, but without English, I wasn’t able to find a teaching job here,” said Cruz-Andino. “I worked at a company seven days a week, running a machine. I was doing the best I could. No one knew I was a teacher.”

After 13 years in Michigan, Cruz-Andino finally got the position she wanted. She works as a foreign language teacher at Southwest Middle High School – Academia Bilingüe in Grand Rapids, teaching Spanish to students in grades 7-12. She plans to remain there after graduation.

Cruz-Andino believes in the power of positivity. During Covid-19, Cruz-Andino took a job cleaning hospital rooms at a facility in West Michigan, and credits that time with her decision to pursue teaching again.

“I used the time to pray for the patients and pray for the people helping others,” she said. “I needed to be there to see people suffering to find my path. As humans, we complain and fight with God. It was a big lesson for me. My life changed.”

A graduate certificate in urban education is an alternate route to the teacher certification program, allowing individuals to teach in Michigan schools while fulfilling credential requirements.

Students from all areas of Davenport University’s Casa Latina program gathered on Davenport University’s W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus prior to graduation to honor its first graduates and network.

“Casa Latina is designed for students who are looking to balance life in two languages,” said Sanchez. “By offering hands-on learning in both English and Spanish, the program transforms existing bilingual foundations into a valuable professional asset.

“One of the unique features of our Casa Latina curriculum is that students take classes 100% online. Events like our student mixers allow students to meet and network with classmates – many of whom they’ve been working with on projects over the past months. It helps them build social capital with their peers. The relationships they build within our program will benefit them professionally and personally for years to come.”

As many of the credits Masterman received for her certification apply to Davenport’s graduate degrees, Masterman is going to continue at Davenport for her master’s degree in urban education, starting in winter 2027.

Masterman will be surrounded by family when she receives her certificate. In addition to her husband and two daughters, her parents will be flying in from Costa Rica to attend.

Cruz-Andino is also exploring pursuing her master’s degree with hopes of working at Davenport one day.

Cruz-Andino missed her graduation when she received her bachelor’s degree in Puerto Rico. “Now, wow, I’m here,” she said. “I’m going to have a graduation.”

She’ll be walking across the stage with the support of her friends and family. In addition to her children, her daughter-in-law, her seven grandchildren, friends and co-workers will be there cheering for her.