Providing Possibilities

As a middle school student, the framed NC State diploma in her veterinarian’s office caught the attention of Nicole Martinez-Avila. 

After researching the university, she was drawn to the modern agricultural curriculum, strong reputation and community spirit. A lifelong love of animals led Martinez-Avila to set a goal of one day joining the Wolfpack.

She focused and worked diligently in pursuit of that dream. After transferring from Wayne Community College, Martinez-Avila is now a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, studying Poultry Science with a concentration in technology.

“It’s a prestigious school that focuses on research,” she said. “When people ask me where I go to school, I answer ‘NC State’ with pride.”

That sense of pride and community have grown exponentially thanks to the Latinx Alumni Network, which recently awarded $1,500 scholarships to Martinez-Avila and seven other students.

“I was excited to receive the scholarship because we are middle class, and it’s hard to cover the full tuition without being really stressed,” she said. “It relieves a lot of that stress.”  

A First-Generation College Student

Raised in Dudley, North Carolina, a small town between Mount Olive and Goldsboro, Martinez-Avila is part of the first generation of her family to go to college and is the first to attend a four-year school. She credits her parents, both immigrants, for helping her succeed. 

“We’re a very close family. I feel really blessed to have the support system I have. They’ve always guided me in making good decisions,” said Martinez-Avila. “My parents encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people.”

Her parents, Adriana and Hector, modeled this daily. They followed her grandfather, a former mariachi who traveled to North Carolina to work in agriculture after the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City destroyed his livelihood. 

Martinez-Avila has always been an animal lover and thought she would one day become a veterinarian, but when her father brought home ten little chicks to raise, she changed her focus. In high school, she joined the National Future Farmers of America, a youth organization with a dual focus on agriculture and leadership.

She was elected vice president of her chapter her senior year of high school, and it was her involvement with the organization that solidified her decision to pursue a degree in agriculture.

“Going through FFA, I learned a lot about poultry science, and I got very interested in chicken production,” she said. “Chickens are the number one meat producer – it’s really interesting how chicken can feed so many people and make such a big impact in the world.”         

The summer after high school, she took a position in production at a filter manufacturing facility, and quickly learned how demanding life on the line can be.

Both her parents worked in poultry processing for a time, although they moved on to other jobs and eventually founded a photography business, Studio Martini. Martinez-Avila was able to step into their shoes when she recently visited a poultry processing plant with one of her classes. She witnessed the entire process, from live to packaged chicken.

“It was very eye-opening to see the whole process. It’s a very tough job,” she said.

With both of those experiences in mind, Martinez-Avila hopes to make a positive impact on the poultry industry by finding ways to improve every part of the production process – for the chickens, the companies and especially the employees. 

LAN Scholarship Strengthens Latinx Community

LAN was founded in January 2017 by Lyndenise Berdecía ’06 and Dr. Andrea Hernandez Duhon ’05, in order to strengthen the connection between Latinx alumni and NC State. The organization has grown exponentially since then and has since launched scholarships to support students.

“The scholarship means possibilities,” said Guadalupe (Lupe) Arce Jimenez, president of LAN. “It’s not just money to attend; it’s the possibility to achieve their dreams. Maybe they were missing that extra $500 or $1,500, and they say, ‘Maybe I can take that extra course, or I can purchase that new computer I need for school.’”

It’s not just money to attend; it’s the possibility to achieve their dreams.

Though $1,500 may not seem like a lot, said Arce Jiminez, “It is for these families. It’s a huge lift of a burden, even to be able to buy gas to go home for the weekend. Being part of a family is very important to the Latinx community.”

The LAN scholarship has continued to grow each year. Just two years after launch, the fund reached the endowment threshold of $50,000, leading the scholarship’s income ito be available in perpetuity. In 2023, the scholarship was awarded to two recipients, and this year the number grew to eight. Arce Jimenez hopes that next year LAN will be able to make an even greater impact by both increasing the size of the award and the number of scholarships awarded. 

Encouraging Others to Get Involved

“It’s very important for us to give back as alumni,” said Arce Jimenez. “While many of us are just beginning our journeys, and we might not yet have those high-paying jobs where we can donate three or four grand, $10 makes a difference. There are so many alumni, and if we all gave $10 or $20, we would be able to make an impact on these students and the pathway we would have wanted when we were students at NC State.”

LAN is also looking for volunteers to share their time, social media skills and expertise, and for alumni to come back and share their stories with students.

For alumni to share their story, their contact information, to network, that’s very powerful.

“For alumni to share their story, their contact information, to network, that’s very powerful,” said Arce Jimenez. “Email us, connect with us on social media, reach out and ask how you can volunteer. We will immediately return a message with information on how you can help.”

Learn More

Learn more about the Latinx scholarship. Make a gift to support Latinx students like Nicole Martinez-Avila at NC State. To volunteer contact the Latinx Alumni Network at ncstatelatinxalumni@gmail.com. Get connected on social media by following LAN on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.