Velazquez appointed assistant director of community and belonging

Nayeli Salcido-Velazquez knows firsthand how challenging higher education can be to navigate. In her new role as the Division of Student Affairs’ assistant director of community and belonging, she hopes to make that journey easier for others.

“I was genuinely really excited just because I really wanted to work in a position like this one,” Velazquez said. “I’m a first-generation student, person of color, and a lot of the things that I have done up to this point aren't necessarily things that my parents or anyone in my family has ever done before.”

For Velazquez, this path is not new: when she attended University of Sioux Falls for her undergraduate degree, she helped co-found the university’s first Latinx organization. 

Her Augustana career began in 2023 as the hall director for Granskou Hall. After two years in that role, she transitioned to Wagoner Hall at the start of the fall 2025 semester. In early October, she accepted her new position, taking over after Tyra Hawkins’ departure last year.

Noah Gassman, hall director of Granskou Hall, worked with Velazquez when he was the director of Stavig Hall.

“She is very driven,” Gassman said. “She knows how to get things done, and I think that made a wonderful environment in [her] hall when she was the director.”

In this role, Velazquez will also oversee the Journey Scholars program, which supports and empowers underrepresented college students to grow as leaders and advocates within the Augustana community. 

Her goals in this new position are focused on building connection and community, particularly through campus events and cultural programming.

“I really want to do a lot of events with the Journey Scholars,” Velazquez said. “I also want to do a lot more programming like celebrating Latina Heritage Month or Native American Heritage Month. I think it’s really important that we learn about every culture.”

Asian Student Organization Co-President and junior Maya Madson highlighted Velazquez's student-centered approach. 

“She is so considerate of the people that she oversees and takes care of,” Madson said. “I think she makes people feel seen and cared for no matter what their background is. She tries to meet people where they’re at and makes them feel appreciated in their unique identities.”

Velazquez is ultimately confident in taking on her new role while also making it her own, and she hopes to use it to benefit the entire student body.

“I want to keep working on the foundation that’s already been built and kind of make it my own,” Velazquez said. “At Augie we have so many diverse students, so many diverse perspectives, and it’s just like the more we talk, the more we learn. The more we learn, the more we grow.”