Hard to believe that just over four years ago Marti invited me to have lunch on campus with some prospective students who were checking out the Honors College. At that lunch i had the privilege to meet the "Martinez Sisters," two incredible young women, who incidentally, despite having the same last name, are not sisters or even related at all, but who are the best of friends. Over the past four years i have watched these amazing women and many of their peers grow, learn, become great community activists and scholars, and now graduate. Well, Ms. Lilly, or more accurately Hermana Martinez is now serving a mission for the LDS church, but Ms. Yamila just recently graduated and is now moving on to start graduate school in the fall. I am so proud and honored to have been a part of Yami's education, as well as the educational journeys of Heidi, Lalo, Xris, and the many others who set fantastic examples of the value and benefits of higher education.
Last night we also got to celebrate the graduation of some of the high school youth who are part of the Mestizo Arts & Activism Collective. I'm excited to see them move on to college now, and especially excited for those who are coming to the University of Utah where hopefully they will get involved with the Honors College or LEAP and i can continue to work with them. I am so impressed by the mentoring and support that the the MAA university students provide for the high school students to help them with admissions and scholarship applications, getting signed up for orientation and other opportunities, and overall navigating and accessing higher ed. I love spring for a variety of reasons, one of them certainly being the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and success of graduating students.
Mentoring at it's best!
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