BATAVIA, Ohio — A Goshen native who once translated paperwork for her immigrant parents has become the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating from UC Clermont College this spring with her sights set on a career in animation.
Marlene Galvan grew up in Goshen after her family immigrated from Mexico. Neither of her parents finished high school, and as a child she served as their translator, going through English as a Second Language programs through fifth grade, according to the University of Cincinnati.
Galvan earned an associate degree in digital media from UC Clermont in spring 2026. In an animation course on the Batavia campus, she produced an advertising animation for La Michoacana, a Mexican ice cream shop, and interned with the college’s marketing and communications office designing graphics, the university said.
“They believed this was possible for me before I did,” Galvan said, reflecting on the people who encouraged her, according to a post from UC Clermont College.
Her coursework and portfolio from UC Clermont helped her gain admission to the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, known as DAAP, the university said. She is now studying games and animation there, working toward her goal of becoming an animator for a major animation studio.
Galvan received scholarships and a Pell Grant to help pay for her education, according to the university.
“As the first in my family to earn a college degree, I felt like if I started, I had to finish,” Galvan said, according to the university.
The information contained in this story was obtained from UC Clermont College.