Martha Draayer works with students, faculty and staff as the director of the Bridge Center.
Advocate
Draayer collaborates with staff and faculty to encourage the development of cultural intelligence among all of the campus community. She co-founded the community non-profit PIECE—Partners In Education, Community Outreach and Embracing Diversity—with the goal of collaborating with established community organizations to help meet the needs of northwest Iowa’s growing Hispanic community. One of the programs offered is one-on-one English language tutoring.
Empowering others
Draayer works to foster the leadership skills of students and advises La Mosaic, a multicultural student club. She also serves as a board member of CASA (Center for Assistance, Service & Advocacy) of Sioux County, where she helps Hispanic members of the community with housing, immigrant rights, public safety and education issues.
Immigrant
Originally from Mexico, Draayer’s family moved to the United States when she was three years old. She uses her immigration story to raise awareness of the need for a new, stable pathway to citizenship.
Experienced educator
Before returning to her alma mater, Draayer earned a master’s degree and worked as a bilingual early childhood special education teacher and consultant for the Northwest Area Education Agency. She also taught in Northwestern’s Master of Education program.
