University Park, IL,
15
October
2019
|
09:58 AM
America/Chicago

Humans of GSU: Omar Martinez

“From the beginning, there were two things that resonated with my entire family: going to college and finding a good job. I’m a first-generation, Latino college student. My parents raised me to be resilient—to bounce back from any situation thrown at me—and to view every situation not just on how it can benefit me, but how it can help others. With my goal to get a degree in mind, I started my academic journey at Prairie State College. I was part of Phi Theta Kappa, Psi Beta, and the Dual Degree Program (DDP) at Prairie State which led me to Governors State University. I received the DDP Honors Scholarship along with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute scholarship (USHLI). I’m grateful for the way GSU’s Dual Degree Program is set-up and how it supports its students through strong partnerships with community colleges and accessible scholarships for transfers. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Conference where I represented GSU as a student and the DDP as a Student Transition Assistant.

I’m the current treasurer of the Association for Latin American Students (ALAS) on campus. My experience within the Latino population in colleges & universities allows me to speak not only for my community, but allows me a wider perspective in order to better represent other communities as well. We recently created a display to showcase our culture in the B-wing for Hispanic Heritage Month. I’m proud to be part of ALAS and of the membership and support it has across GSU’s Students, Faculty, and Staff.”

—Omar Martinez, Senior, Criminal Justice, #HumansofGSU