People with Purpose: Kevin Santos Flores

Finding a sense of belonging can make or break a student's college experience.

For Kevin Santos Flores, director of student engagement and belonging, that's what every day in the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center is about. By helping students build confidence through community and opportunity, Santos Flores creates a space where everyone can belong — finding his purpose in empowering students to thrive.

Q: How do you make K-State a more welcoming environment for students?

Santos Flores: Working in the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center, I regularly walk through the building, speak with students to get to know them better and attend student-run events around campus. In the evenings, I'll also attend our student organizations' meetings; if there are any updates on policies, I will ensure I explain them and make myself available for any questions.

One of the most rewarding experiences in my career has been serving as the advisor for Alpha Phi Gamma National Sorority, Incorporated. In the fall of 2022, I was approached by a group of students who had formed an interest group to establish a chapter on campus. I accepted the position because I understood the significance and impact of being the first Asian sorority at K-State, and in spring 2025, I saw years of student efforts come to fruition when the chapter was officially chartered.

Q: How do you encourage students to embrace their identities while exploring new perspectives?

Santos Flores: My objective is to truly listen to my students' questions to understand what they need. I believe the way I work with college students began to take shape in a prior role in a TRIO/Talent Search Program in Northern California. I was responsible for recruiting and advising middle and high school students to attend college; through that experience, I learned how to reach students and show them how we could support them in achieving their educational goals.

When meeting with K-State students, the topics of conversation range widely. Discussions could include academics, financial aid, student organization involvement, family, internships, job interviews and graduate school opportunities. Based on the topic, I try to provide specific advice and follow up with the student if needed.

For first-year students who may feel homesick or are struggling to meet students who share their background, I'll connect them to our multicultural student organizations on campus and their meeting times so they can attend. For students that I have gotten to know better, I have suggested advice like adding a minor to their degree or doing study abroad because I see how it can benefit them in their career.

Q: Are there any moments you saw a student's hard work pay off? How did you get to be a part of that story?

Santos Flores: One of the things I've enjoyed the most in my time here has been seeing our students secure internships, scholarships and graduate school opportunities before graduating and helping by writing letters of recommendation or serving as a job reference!

This spring, the president of the Asian American Student Union was accepted into the Public Health program at the University of Kansas, and I was one of the people who wrote her a letter of recommendation. She was one of the best student leaders that I have worked with, and she did an excellent job leading the organization this past year.

In the spring of 2025, I wrote a letter of recommendation for an engineering student applying to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and she was awarded the scholarship. I first met this student through MAPS, our department's summer bridge program, and through her involvement in one of K-State's Latina sororities. She is now completing an internship at a company where she interviewed while attending the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Conference.

Similarly, in the spring of 2024, I wrote a letter of recommendation for a student applying for a scholarship in the School of Health Professions at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She was from Garden City, Kansas, and was also a member of a Latina sorority on campus. She was awarded the scholarship and began her graduate studies that fall in the University of Kansas Department of Occupational Therapy Education.

I have met some great students while at K-State, and I hope to continue supporting them!

Q: What do you hope your K-State legacy will be?

Santos Flores: I strive to create a welcoming space on campus and strong relationships with students, and watching them succeed is the most rewarding part of my role at K-State. I hope that my K-State legacy will be that I had a positive impact on student lives, that I was a good campus partner and that I helped improve the campus environment.