Martha Rodriguez

After her family moved to Georgia from Mexico, Martha Rodriguez ’16 saw great potential among her Hispanic peers but few actual leaders. When she came to UNG, she set out to change that. The relationships she formed here—as a freshmen mentor, orientation leader, and member of the Latino Student Organization and various other clubs—developed her leadership and confidence.

“UNG focuses on building leaders in our community,” Martha says. “That’s why I’m most proud of my university. Every workshop, every conference is always about being a leader, how to improve yourself and teach others.”

She grew even more independent when she studied in Spain at the CESTE International Business School. She took Spanish-taught courses in world economy and financial mathematics, and visited some places she’d never been—England, Ireland, Portugal, and Poland.

“To study abroad and experience a different culture, you grow so much as a person and leader,” Martha says. “I feel like every student should go through that because that’s when you really grow as a person. After six months, I came back and believed I could accomplish anything.”

When she returned from Spain, she wanted to show Hispanic youth they could accomplish all that she had—and more. That’s why she is leading 130+ high school juniors and seniors across Georgia with HoPe, a nonprofit focused on reducing high school dropout rates among Hispanic youth.

“In elementary and high school, most Hispanic students didn’t feel very included in our community,” Martha says. “They didn’t have that one person who understood them and knew what they were going through.”

She’s making it her mission to be that person. As HoPe’s director of Legacy Leaders, she organizes monthly retreats and workshops for high school leaders to experience what it’s like to lead a team, execute a business plan or use their influence to move others to take action in their communities.

“To succeed, you’re going to need people to build you up and encourage you,” Martha says. “UNG does that for you. It brings out your full potential.”