At every life turn, Guadalupe Martinez has left her mark.
Whether it was as an honors student at MiraCosta College speaking to younger students about her experiences as a woman in STEM, helping build her family’s local business into one of the leading landscaping companies in the area, or improving her community through civic engagement, Guadalupe has approached each challenge with a determination to break down barriers and create opportunities for herself and those around her.
And now, after walking across the MiraCosta College graduation stage to receive her diploma, Guadalupe is preparing for the next chapter of her journey. And the next place she can leave her mark.
As a first-generation college student living in Oceanside, Martinez initially enrolled at MiraCosta in 2016 while concurrently finishing high school. Growing up close to campus and preceded by her three older sisters, Guadalupe already knew about the many resources that MiraCosta College offered. So when it came time to choose a college, there was never a doubt which school she would choose.
Initially, Guadalupe used her first couple of semesters to explore a host of subjects and potential career paths. Soon, her MiraCosta College journey led Guadalupe to the sciences where she found herself drawn to chemistry's intricate molecular structures and complex reactions, eventually excelling in honors chemistry courses and joining the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
"Funny enough, I dropped my first chemistry course,” Martinez admitted with a laugh. "But I think I had a really positive experience with the professor, and from there I just kept taking honors chemistry courses."
In time, Guadalupe thrived in the sciences. She went on to present research at the 2019 Honors Scholars Conference, focusing on HIV development and progression, and volunteered at MiraCosta's Girls Tech conference, leading science experiments for elementary students from across the region.
For Guadalupe, MiraCosta College was the perfect place to explore her talents. And she attributes much of her success to the supportive community on campus. As a student with disabilities, she utilized the Student Accessibility Services (SAS), the STEM center invaluable for tutoring and professor support. Guadalupe even carved out time to support her peers by serving as a mental health peer educator for health services and a chemistry lab assistant.
But as it did for so many students at the time, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrinkle in Guadalupe’s plans. Guadalupe was poised to transfer to a UC school to continue her education. But paying so much for the same type of online courses just didn’t seem right at the time. Instead,
Guadalupe deferred her university ambitions and spent the time as a de facto entrepreneur. She used many of the skills she learned at MiraCosta College to help grow her parents’ landscaping business, which has since garnered multiple awards for its success in the community.
The pandemic also gave Guadalupe an opportunity to reflect and further plan out her future.
“To me, COVID-19 really demonstrated the healthcare inequalities and social inequalities in our world.” Guadalupe shared. As many individuals and families in her community faced tragedy during that period, Guadalupe also found out she had a chronic illness, something that would forever impact her daily life and studies.
Continued Guadalupe, “I realized that science and chemistry, even if you're the most genius person, can only get you so far, because at the end of the day, our civil liberties, freedoms, everything that we interact with is actually political.”
This realization prompted a career pivot. Inspired by a call to civic engagement, Guadalupe switched her major from chemistry to political science, recognizing the interconnected nature of science, policy, and social justice.
Guadalupe explained, “Everything is connected, from our water, our healthcare, the public schools we attend, our financial access to banks and private institutions. I want to be part of the positive change in this world.”
Her civic engagement stems from personal experience as a woman who has faced marginalization throughout her life. Growing up working in her family's business, she encountered both the physical demands of labor and the injustice of discrimination.
"I couldn't get around these stereotypes," she explained. "I realized if it's happening to me, it must be happening to everybody else."
Now able to return to a traditional classroom experience, Guadalupe is set to transfer to UC San Diego in fall 2025 to study political science with a focus on public law. Her ultimate goal is law school, with plans to either work in public policy or establish a private practice focused on defending underrepresented individuals in family or criminal law.
"When my parents got to see me graduate, it was a proud moment for me and my family," Martinez reflected. "Growing up as first generation, everybody doubts you and you doubt yourself. But MiraCosta really validated what I felt as well as what I would see in terms of injustices."