SXU Student Gets Involved on Campus to Make a Difference
First-generation student Evelyn Martinez's decision to continue her education at Saint Xavier University (SXU) and major in finance and accounting came from a place of wanting to change not only her home community but the world.
"As someone who grew up in an underprivileged town, I notice the discrepancies between the town I grew up in and the town a few miles away. It makes me want to work to achieve the things I didn't have growing up. Learning about finances and how money works can help underprivileged families. It's just a matter of learning and taking what I learned back to where I came from to help others learn and better their circumstances," Martinez said.
As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) with an AACSB-accredited business school, SXU was the perfect place for Martinez to reach her academic goals.
"SXU being an HSI made me feel better about coming here and being away from home, and of course, the financial aid SXU provided me with was far superior to any other school," Martinez said.
As a junior, Martinez has packed her resume tight. Immersing herself in numerous clubs, organizations, internships, and leadership positions, Martinez is taking every opportunity college affords to her. During her freshman year, Martinez saw an opportunity to etch out her career path and she ran with it. When she found out Women Entering Business (WEB) no longer existed at SXU, she took the matter into her own hands, revamping the registered student organization (RSO) as president.
"Women are already at a disadvantage in the business world, as it's dominated by men. I had to do something to help the women of SXU. One of our most popular biannual events is Professional Picture Day. I love logging into LinkedIn and seeing the photos we've taken. It’s a visual confirmation that what I'm doing alongside WEB is making a difference, which is what truly matters," Martinez said.
Martinez also found her place in Unidos, an RSO that encourages the unity of the student community and encourages appreciation, promotion, and preservation of the Latin American culture. When positions within the executive board opened, Martinez jumped at the chance and eventually became vice president.
"I joined Unidos because I came from a community with many Hispanic and Latino students, and to help me adjust to the college environment, I tried joining clubs that I was interested in and that I felt were aimed to help me. I love being involved and helping people feel welcome, especially in new environments and environments that can be difficult to adjust to. College can be very challenging, especially for a first-generation student. One of the best parts about Unidos is being able to have a positive impact on at least one person," Martinez said.
In addition to her work with WEB and Unidos, Martinez is a peer mentor for Campus Ministry. She has attended most of their off-campus retreats since starting school at SXU and has participated in their annual Spring Break Service Trip every year.
With Martinez's extracurricular involvement and experience, she was able to land her first internship during the summer of 2023 with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a Start Trust Solutions intern, and she plans to continue interning with PwC this upcoming summer.
"SXU has done a great job connecting me to unique and amazing people. SXU helped me connect with PwC. My experiences at SXU helped my resume stand out during the application process. All the time that I have put into being involved on campus didn't go unnoticed," Martinez said.
As Martinez finishes her junior year, she hopes to continue making a difference at SXU and preaching the importance of building up a resume while working toward a degree.
"Being involved helps you find yourself in ways you otherwise wouldn't. It also helps you find your professional weaknesses so that you can work on them while you're in college rather than finding them when you're in your full-time job. It helps build your confidence and your social skills. It also looks great on your resume, which can be the difference between getting and not getting your dream internship or job."