Yazmin “Yaya” Puentes Probedo didn’t plan to walk across Newman’s commencement stage twice in two years, but when the opportunity came, she took it.
Puentes Probedo earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2024 and stayed to complete her master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in leadership in 2025.
“I can’t get enough,” Puentes Probedo said with a laugh. “I graduated last year in education and then came right back to get my business degree. I wanted to keep growing.”
Staying close to family
Going to Newman was an intentional choice for her. Being from Wichita, Puentes Probedo wanted to stay close to her family.
“I play a pretty big piece in my family,” she said. “My mom’s a single mom and she’s actually back in nursing school, so I’ve been here, helping out with my younger siblings.”
Still, Puentes Probedo pursued her personal dreams of being the first in her family to graduate — and now, the first to earn a master’s.
“I know some people want to leave and get out of here, but I’ve loved it,” she said. “I’ve loved being closer to my family. Eventually I’ll get out there and experience more, but I was in no rush.”
Balancing responsibilities
While completing both degrees, Puentes Probedo was a member of the women’s soccer team and later served as the graduate assistant for her team. Between practices, coursework and helping her family, she said there were moments when balancing everything was difficult.
“There were times I was unsure about decisions I made,” she said. “But my teammates stood beside me. They had patience with me. I know I’m not perfect, but I try to be, and I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Huachuan Wen, Ed.D, associate professor of education, had Puentes Probedo in class and acted as her adviser throughout her time at Newman.
“Yaya did not come from a carefree background,” he said. “While completing her studies, she carried many responsibilities, including helping her family in meaningful ways, likely more than many of her peers had to.”
She was a standout in her education classes, according to Wen.
“I remember how eager she was to learn from the cooperating teachers she observed and how she often brought valuable insights back to class. Yaya had a big heart for her students, and she was both genuine and kind to everyone around her.”
Where she is now
After finishing her education degree, Puentes Probedo began teaching third grade at White Elementary School, a Title I school in Wichita. She said she hopes to inspire students who come from backgrounds similar to her own.
“I feel like kids in Title I, low-income areas get overlooked,” she said. “I feel like I’m living proof of a kid that didn’t have much growing up, but used and strived as much as possible with what was handed to me.”
I feel like I’m living proof of a kid that didn’t have much growing up, but used and strived as much as possible with what was handed to me.
-Yazmin Puentes Probedo
Alongside teaching at White Elementary School, Puentes Probedo coaches three girls’ soccer teams at FC Wichita Academy.
“I’ve been able to tie what I’ve learned in the classroom to what I learned with them,” she said. “You’re going to have a kid in the classroom that doesn’t want to learn today, and it’s not necessarily them, it’s probably what happened at home, and that happens on the field as well.”
Puentes Probedo said her studies at Newman, particularly in leadership, have helped her feel prepared for the classroom and beyond.
“I’ve learned through my master’s and with my concentration being in leadership, how to work with children, my coworkers, my peers, my colleagues,” she said. “I think Newman has given me the stepping stones to lead me into my next chapter, so I’m super excited. I thank Newman a lot.”
Wen commended Puentes Probedo for the position she’s in now.
“Her effort, persistence and growth throughout our program were truly commendable,” he said. “I am so proud that she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a full-time classroom teacher. In many ways, she changed the trajectory of her own life through hard work and determination.”
Learn about Newman’s education program
Our education program trains more teachers than any other private college or university in Kansas.
