Class of 2026 senior spotlight
Wabash is a place where people from all over the country and the world come together to grow and be challenged. In many ways, Christian Cantu ’26 is a good example of seeing challenges as opportunities for improvement. As a rhetoric major and English minor, he has showcased a great passion for learning. Taking English as a second language growing up and majoring in the two intricate methods of the language at a place like Wabash is a key expression of his commitment to hard work.
Participating in organizations like the Sphinx Club and Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse (WDPD) in addition to his active role in La Alianza also showcase his varied interests and his ability to be in and around campus.
“I am privileged to say that I have had many battles and many successes on this beautiful campus,” said Cantu. “My biggest battle was understanding the different roles I was meant to play as a college student compared to what I thought I was going to be.”
In his time Crawfordsville, Cantu has gained many life lessons.
“Learning different skills and taking on different responsibilities was a challenge I enjoyed overcoming,” said Cantu. “With that, I consider my biggest win to be the countless connections I’ve been blessed to create across campus and with our alumni. Being able to enjoy a meal at any fraternity or have a personal connection with at least one staff member in every building has been a beautiful thing to experience.”
Cantu learned a lot at Wabash, but his biggest battle came when he least expected it.
“During my first college summer, I worked as a camp counselor in North Carolina,” said Cantu. “I had just finished my first year of college and felt unstoppable. I arrived Sunday night. By Monday afternoon I was in the E.R with a broken clavicle, collarbone and shoulder. What was meant to be a summer filled with adventure and spontaneity turned into a summer of reflection and adaptability. I stuck through with it and made sure I took it as a lesson to persevere rather than an excuse to go home. That summer I floated on the lake, rock climbed, hiked and did many more things I wasn’t going to be able to do. I learned that no broken bones, no surgery, nothing is more powerful than the mind.”
Visiting Instructor of Rhetoric Chris Anderson has spent a lot of time with Cantu through WDPD.
“I was recommended to meet Cantu as he was not a Fellow and had not taken RHE-280, the standard path for WDPD Fellows,” said Anderson. “Upon meeting him I found him to be charming with a strong understanding of his environment. He possesses the instincts of a facilitator by skillfully reading the room around him, and making people feel welcome and appreciated.”
Anderson also stated that Cantu’s abilities were a special tool for the organization.
“Cantu was part of the reason WDPD held its first deliberation entirely in Spanish,” said Anderson. “I trusted him to represent the organization and connect with the community on behalf of WDPD and the college. He is a stellar representative. His work in the community with the soccer program and his internship with the Mayor Barton’s office are small examples of the quiet hard work to improve community and build connections he does everyday.”
Watching Cantu’s growth as a person means understanding the struggles and victories that he collected along the way.
“Cris has a clear vision of his path and what it will take to get there,” said Anderson. “I have watched him struggle across his coursework as things got difficult and worked hard to identify the struggle and then address it to reach his goals.”
After Wabash, Cantu is set with a position at The Annex Group, a construction company in Fishers. Here he will continue his pattern of extracting meaningful life lessons from demanding work.