Monica Martinez
March 22, 2023
Jumping in Head First: Alumna Finds Connections... and a Great Start to a Business Career
Getting involved in activities at school was critical for Monica Martinez from an early age. She chose to attend FRCC for her first two years of college because it costs significantly less than a four-year university. But she also wanted all the campus involvement opportunities of a bigger school.
As a new college student at FRCC, she jumped in head first鈥攁nd made sure to connect with her teachers and advisors when she needed guidance and support. Now a graduate of CU-Boulder鈥檚 business school, she has a job she loves with a major banking company. And she says FRCC is a great place to get your start.
After High School Graduation鈥擭ow What?
For Monica, education is somewhat of a family affair. 鈥淓ducation has been emphasized in my life. My parents have encouraged me to prioritize my education. I learned at a very young age to always give my best effort and be proud of my work.鈥�
She liked school, and was very involved in extracurriculars at her high school in Niwot. 鈥淲hen I looked for a college to attend after graduation, I knew I wanted to go to a community college because of affordability. But I made sure I found a community college where I could be just as involved as I was in high school.鈥�
Getting Involved at FRCC
Monica jumped right in at FRCC鈥檚 Boulder County campus鈥攋oining student groups, participating in the Latinx Excellence, Achievement & Development Scholars program (LEADS) and working as a student ambassador. In other words, she got to know pretty much everyone at FRCC鈥檚 small Boulder County campus. 鈥淭hat gave me a lot of opportunities to be involved.鈥�
Even so, transitioning to college that first year was challenging. 鈥淚 had a lot of adjusting to do from high school, but I found a lot of support at FRCC.鈥� She says she turned to her instructors a lot for help.
鈥淎t FRCC the teachers knew who you were, and were willing to stay after class and help you. The campus is more intimate. They definitely give you the attention you need.鈥�
Finding Support
Asking her teachers for help was a smart move. 鈥淭hey were really good at guiding me in the right direction. If it wasn鈥檛 for them, I wouldn鈥檛 have known that there was tutoring offered on campus, and about the academic success center. I found a lot of help that way. Then after I became acclimated, it became easy for me.鈥�
When Monica was young, her favorite subject had been math鈥攁nd she excelled at it in high school. So at FRCC she decided to go for an associate degree in accounting and finance鈥攁nd then transfer to CU-Boulder to study business.
鈥淭he transfer went pretty smoothly. I met with my FRCC and CU advisors simultaneously to make sure I was on the right track. My FRCC advisor let me know when I鈥檇 be ready to go to CU, and helped make sure everything aligned.鈥�
Prepared for CU
Monica says there was one particular skill that carried over from FRCC and helped her at the university. She had learned to ask for help, and she now knew how to find it. 鈥淢y experience at FRCC was a great preparation for me. Because of my time there, I knew exactly what I wanted at CU. I wanted to do big things; I wanted to excel鈥攁nd I knew I needed to find resources.鈥�
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 as hesitant to reach out to teachers. I wasn鈥檛 as hesitant to admit it when I needed help. I had more confidence going into CU. I managed to set goals that I was able to accomplish.鈥�
Diving in on Campus
She joined CU鈥檚 Cultural Events Board, which regulates and makes decisions about funding for all culturally relevant student organizations on campus. She eventually worked her way up to a leadership position on the board, and the experience opened up her network鈥攐n campus and beyond. 鈥淚 met with a lot of different types of students. We brought speakers to campus, and I got to meet [actress] Viola Davis, [actress] LaVerne Cox, as well as [poet and motivational speaker] Yusef Salaam and [design entrepreneur] Raymond Santana鈥攂oth of the Exonerated 5.鈥�
She also got a job on campus with CU鈥檚 finance department helping track funding for the more than 500 smaller clubs and organizations on campus. But the real coup during Monica鈥檚 time at the university was the internship she scored for her senior year. She started work as a senior analyst/intern with Key Bank鈥檚 equipment financing arm, helping businesses fund their growth. It went so well that the bank offered her a job when she graduated in 2020.
Life After Graduation
鈥淚 really like my job鈥攖he environment is great. I didn鈥檛 imagine myself in this position when I was at CU. With COVID hitting last spring, I didn鈥檛 even know if I鈥檇 be able to get a job after college.鈥�
Not surprisingly, Monica has no plans to relax and rest on her accomplishments. 鈥淚 want to learn more and become that person everybody comes to for help. That鈥檚 what I strive for. I never want to get to a point where I say, 鈥榯his is good enough.鈥� I want to always excel鈥攁nd be the best version of myself.鈥�
Eventually she hopes to start her own business, and feels the skills she developed at FRCC will help her get there.
All in the Family
For now, her younger brother and her mom are both currently attending FRCC鈥攂ased, in part, on Monica鈥檚 recommendation. 鈥淭hey already knew it was convenient. They also observed through my journey that FRCC made it easy to transfer and had a good support system.鈥�
Her experience was so positive that she advises other students to find their path here. 鈥淔RCC is definitely a great place to start college, to begin your journey.鈥�
Interested in Transferring to a 4-Year?
With over 30 programs guaranteed to transfer to Colorado public colleges, FRCC offers a great opportunity to build a solid foundation for your future plans.