Cassandra Rodriguez, a student in the Master in Teaching Program and a Martinez Fellow, inspired an audience of more than 700 at the 29th Annual Seattle University Gala on November 3 when she shared her gratitude for the scholarships which have afforded her an SU education. The gala raised more than $652,000 for student scholarships.

Rodriguez shared her family’s hard work ethic that helped them overcome the struggles associated with immigrating from Mexico. Despite their hard work, the family did not have the resources to send their daughter to Seattle University as an undergraduate.

“When I received my acceptance letter, it contained a scholarship package. This single sheet of paper was proof that people believed in me. The hopes and dreams of my family were made real by the support of generous people who believe in the value of access to education.”

She worked in community schools as an undergrad in the Bachelors for Humanities in Teaching program and saw a need for high quality teachers who have passion to prepare students not just for graduation but for life. She knew then that she had been called to be a high school math teacher, and she knew she wanted to continue her preparation at through the College of Education at Seattle University. 
“My Masters in Teaching program is preparing me to be an intentional teacher, and as a Martinez fellow, I am provided the resources to succeed as a teacher of color.”

The Martinez Foundation, established by Edgar and Holli Martinez, provides need-based diversity scholarships and support programs to empower students from underrepresented populations to not only pursue higher education for their own benefit, but also positively impact the students and communities they serve.

Rodriguez wants to teach math to at-risk youth. “I will infuse life skills into math’s critical thinking exercises. To me, the way you respond to math reflects your preparedness to engage in life’s challenges. In math class, students learn the reward of perseverance while being given a safe space to practice the life skill of breaking down a seemingly impossible problem into a series of navigable smaller problems.”

Her call to serve those who are underserved made Seattle University a perfect fit for her.

“My time at Seattle U has allowed me so many opportunities to challenge who I am and how I want to give back to my community. I quickly came to see that my ultimate challenge was not determining how I would benefit from my own education, but how my education would benefit those I serve.”