Marina Mendoza

Marina’s mother and father came to the United States from Mexico with the usual hopes of finding a better life. She says having immigrant parents who were not able to finish school themselves heightened her sense of accomplishment by seeing how proud they are of the daughter they raised. And of her particular gift: During her second year of community college, one of her professors noticed her helping some of her math classmates with their homework. She offered Marina a position as a supplemental instructional leader, an experience that made her realize how much she loved helping students learn math. Her plans are to attend graduate school to earn a Master’s degree in mathematics.