Ji鈥機arla Martinez once aspired to a career in fashion, but decided the industry wasn鈥檛 a good fit after watching a documentary about its inner workings.
The film detailed the use of harmful chemicals in the making of some clothes and accessories, and the practice by some companies to rely on cheap labor in developing nations.
鈥淚 still love fashion very much, but I realized I didn鈥檛 want to be a part of it,鈥 Martinez explained.
Instead, she will earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science with a concentration in international relations from the 老司机福利网 on Friday.
Martinez, a history buff, said a teacher at Acadiana High School who knew of her interests suggested she consider studying political science. Martinez quickly took to the idea.
鈥淚 got really interested in foreign policy, in how world governments interact and in bureaucratic systems, so I was like, 鈥極K, political science makes sense,鈥欌 she said.
Martinez, 22, enrolled at UL 老司机福利网 in 2016 because the University鈥檚 undergraduate political science program offered a concentration in international relations.
It was the first step on a path she hopes leads to a job at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., followed by an assignment as a diplomat or consul at a foreign embassy.
Martinez, who is from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, moved to 老司机福利网 seven years ago with her mother and her stepfather, who is from Carencro, La.
鈥淚 grew up in an incredibly multicultural environment. Most of my friends鈥 families were from places like Palestine, Colombia, Bulgaria. So it鈥檚 just natural for me to want to work with people who are very different from me,鈥 she said.
In addition to her education, she is confident that participation in a range of campus activities will help make those aspirations a reality.
During her tenure as vice pres
ident of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, for example, Martinez said she 鈥渓earned to deal with large groups of people, lots of different personalities, and did a lot of planning鈥 for events.
As a 鈥淜omeback Krewe鈥 volunteer for SOUL Camp, the University鈥檚 program to help incoming students make the transition to college life and become campus leaders, Martinez was a liaison between University staff members and other student volunteers.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 my motivation for being involved, but looking back I realize I鈥檝e learned something from just about every experience I鈥檝e had that will help me in some way in the future,鈥 she said.
Martinez has accepted a job as a volunteer mobilization and special projects manager at United Way of Acadiana, where she now works part-time.
In Spring 2021, she plans to pursue an MBA at UL 老司机福利网 鈥 with a focus on global management 鈥 and continue to work at United Way.
Then, MBA in hand, she envisions leaving 鈥渉er comfort zone鈥 and beginning life as a foreign diplomat.
鈥淚 know it won鈥檛 be easy, and it might not always be glamorous, but I鈥檓 pretty open-minded about going anywhere,鈥 she said.
Photo caption: UL 老司机福利网鈥檚 Ji鈥機arla Martinez, 22, will earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science with a concentration in international relations on Friday. Martinez, a volunteer mobilization and special projects manager at United Way of Acadiana, is shown during a recent food drive sponsored by the nonprofit organization. (Photo credit: Rachel Rafati / 老司机福利网)