Salt
Lake Community College invited SLCC Student Body President, Junior Martinez, to
speak this week at its first-ever Community Influencers luncheon at the Miller
Campus in front of about 120 people. His speech was thoughtful, inspiring and worthy
of sharing with the broader SLCC community of staff, faculty and students. With
a few minor edits, his speech is printed below in its entirety.
"I
am a Latino, an immigrant, a first-generation student and a leader. This year
I’ve had the opportunity to represent the students of Salt Lake Community
College. It is my absolute honor to be the student representative for this
institution. As student body president, I get to advocate for the student body,
ensure equitable and inclusive opportunities for students and collaborate with
administrators, staff and faculty to make this institution a better place. SLCC
has become my second home. Most of my day is spent working in the Student Life
office, working out in the Lifetime Activities Center or studying in the Markosian
Library. People think I live here, and it is true! Today I want to share with
you my story and how SLCC became my second home.
During
my last year of high school, I was looking for options to continue my
education. I needed to continue my education somewhere affordable. Like many other
students in my area, I was working four days a week, making $7.25/hour. Enough
to keep my gas tank full and my phone activated. I started doing research about
the cost of college. Two books were equivalent to my monthly income. I knew I
couldn’t do it on my own. Don’t get me wrong, my family was supportive. It was
my decision! I promised myself that I would get by financially because I didn’t
want to add any more financial stress on them. I had applied for scholarships,
but I was unsure about my scholarship status and my frustration started to
grow.
As
a first-generation student, I also needed a place where I can clear any doubts
about college. “College ready”, was not the culture I grew up around. I had to
think about how I was going to make myself a valuable candidate for
scholarships, knowing that my grade point average was not going to be as
competitive as those from students from anywhere else in the state. My
frustration grew deeper.
One
of my strengths is being futuristic, someone who is fascinated with tomorrow
and inspired by what the future could be. I am a dreamer. My strength
encouraged me to think of a place where I can develop my skills and confidently
move to the workforce. I needed a place where I could find my dream career. After
all my research ultimately, I applied at three higher education institutions.
I
chose Salt Lake Community college because it offered me the opportunity to come
to college debt free. You know any student that would pass on that opportunity?
I didn’t. I took that opportunity and began my journey as a Presidential Leadership
scholarship recipient. The scholarship introduced me to the world of leadership.
I was intimidated because previous to this I was never involved. I had never
pictured myself doing something like this. I thought that I wasn’t qualified,
and I had self-doubt. By working with a community of student leaders, slowly that
started to change. I learned that anybody can be a leader. I found my
self-worth and confidence. This place does that a lot for many students. The
stigma is that Salt Lake Community College is a place where you can “try
college,
like a 30-day free trial or something. Yes! You can try college here, but you can do so much more than that!
like a 30-day free trial or something. Yes! You can try college here, but you can do so much more than that!
At
the beginning of my college experience, I was a pre-med student, majoring in
Pre-Health Sciences. I remember taking my first biology course and I knew, that
was not for me. NO THANK YOU! So, I started to explore. I took one business
course, and it felt right. Like I was on the right path. I continued to pursue
that feeling and took more and more business classes. This semester I will
graduate with and Associate of Science in Business. However, I am still
figuring which branch in business to choose from. Students ask me all the time,
“What do you want to do with your life?” and I say, “I don’t yet.” But it
doesn’t matter because I know that it is okay not to know. In my leadership
experience here, I have met with CEOs, directors, VPs and other executives. I
ask them “How did you know this is what you wanted to do?” And they respond, “I
don’t,” or “I am still figuring that out myself.” It is true, most of us really
don’t know where this ship is sailing, but this institution has given me the
skills to steer that ship. I know that I can go anywhere I want from here, and
how to get there. I just need to choose a destination!
In
my time here, I’ve learned a lot from students. I’ve put my listening skills to
the test, because I’ve learned how important it is that you know who you are
representing. If you ask around, the students will tell you that they love the
attention and interaction they get from being in small classrooms. They appreciate
the wide variety of classes they can choose from. They cherish the
accessibility to higher education courses at an affordable rate. I’ve met many
students who face challenges with food insecurity, homelessness, disability,
gender identity, mental health and more. Salt Lake Community College gives
those students access to education and resources to help aid some of their stress
so they can be successful in their studies. For many of our students there are
opportunities to get involved in places where they can find a sense of
community and a specialized support system. We make higher education possible
for students who never thought about going to college, and that is why I am so
proud to be here in front of you as their representative.
Moving
on, I will continue to advocate for SLCC and students. I have seen firsthand
the impact this institution has on students and the community. I encourage
anyone to get involved with the college because anyone can make a difference.
We welcome any collaboration with open arms. We start initiatives for positive
social change. We are on top of affordable access to books and online resources.
We have a system for addressing student issues and needs. Most importantly we
involve our students in the decision process because we know their input
matters. I have committed to advocate, represent and uphold the mission,
vision, and values of this institution not because I had to for the job, but
because I believe in them. I hope that you can too!"
