Lesly Nájera

Written By: Rachel Putman

“It genuinely feels like you belong here,” says Lesly Nájera, a sonography major and Siloam Springs High School alumna. “So many places make you search for where you belong, but at UAFS, you feel that sense of belonging from the moment you arrive.”

At the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, that sense of belonging has given Lesly the confidence to grow and the opportunities to begin building a career in healthcare while still in college.

Though there are multiple large universities just down the road from her hometown of Summers, Lesly says UAFS stood out because it felt personal from the beginning. The smaller campus, close-knit classrooms, and genuine community feel all told her this was a place she could thrive.

“UAFS is meant for everyone,” she said. “And I truly could not see myself in a huge auditorium-like class.”

For Lesly, that smaller, more connected experience has opened the door to big opportunities.

As a UAFS undergrad, she’s already presented research at the annual research symposium, where her group earned recognition for work on a topic she cares deeply about. And she’s completed practical, hands-on learning in hospitals and clinics across the region, helping her prepare for the real pace and responsibility of patient care.

“Going to clinicals has made me SUCH a good sonographer,” she said. “I get to watch the expertise of other sonographers, many who also graduated from UAFS, and it feels great to know that I will be as proficient as them when it’s my time.”

Last year, Lesly completed her associates in radiography, creating a path to a high-paying career at just 20 years old. Now, she’s pursuing her bachelors in sonography.

“Sonography has me take on a more investigative role, using imaging to help uncover what’s happening inside a human’s body,” she said. “This career lets me combine my curiosity with the opportunity to directly contribute to patient care.”

She credits faculty members like Jodi Callahan, Alicia Redding, and Alisa Cole with helping her push through difficult material and gain confidence in challenging subjects, and her academic coach, Derek Hill, with consistently encouraging her, helped her stay organized, and keeping her focused on the future.

“They all naturally made me a better student, helped me have bigger goals, and meet bigger achievements,” she said.

As a first-generation Mexican-American, Lesly says one of the most meaningful parts of her UAFS experience has been seeing her identity reflected, respected, and celebrated in the classroom, and beyond it.

In addition to her healthcare courses, she’s earned a certificate of proficiency in Spanish interpreting and translating, gained a credential that will make her even more competitive in the healthcare workforce while honoring her heritage.

“It was a bridge from high school Spanish to a more college-level proficiency, but it also means a lot to me personally.” she said.

She also sees her culture reflected in campus-wide events, like the annual fan favorite, Salsa at the Bell Tower.  “Seeing everyone enjoy my culture with me makes me feel like where I come from is not just welcomed at UAFS, but celebrated,” she said.

Lesly isn’t the only Nájera to feel this way, either. She is one of three sisters who have attended university, each pursuing a different path in healthcare. 

“We are all so different in our own ways, yet UAFS has always been there for all of us,” she said.

That sentiment is what Lesly returns to when she talks to incoming students about UAFS: it’s not just the academic support, it’s not just the hands-on opportunities, or the award-winning healthcare programs, it’s the feeling that as you navigate all those things for the first time, you’ll never have to figure them out alone.

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• Sonography