Alumna Spotlight - Samantha Esparza
Santa Ana College (SAC) alumna and Santa Ana native Samantha Esparza couldn't believe it when she found out that she received the 2024 Educational Scholarship Award from the National Hispanic Business Women Association (NHBWA), an Orange County nonprofit supporting women in business development. This funding will support her undergraduate education as a Business Administration student at Vanguard University and accelerate her dreams to give back to the community that raised her.
Highly competitive, the prestigious Educational Scholarship Award from NHBWA is awarded to undergraduate or graduate students in need who are actively engaged in community service, maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher, and are Southern California residents. Esparza, a proponent of networking and making meaningful connections, discovered the opportunity on LinkedIn after previously connecting with the organization's Immediate Past President.
Taking Advantage of SAC's Educational Opportunities
A first generation Latina college student, Esparza benefitted from dual-enrollment at Middle College High School at SAC through the Early College Program – accelerating her educational career and saving money. Like most first-generation college students, her biggest concern was how to pay for school. Fortunately, Esparza managed to keep her educational costs low while staying ahead of the traditional education path, simultaneously taking free community college courses with her high school classes.
She took advantage of all the resources SAC and the Early College Program had to offer. This included free college textbooks and access codes, computer lab and college library access, and numerous campus resources such as the food pantry, career fairs and the Scholarship Office. She also participated in the Cash For Credit program, earning $50 per college credit.
Despite the rigorous course load, she bolstered her academic career by joining SAC's Honors Program and graduated with high honors as a President's Scholar Medalist. She received two scholarships from the Santa Ana College Foundation, which was created so students are not denied educational opportunities due to financial constraint.
Esparza credits her success to SAC's culture of support.
“It was hard balancing high school, college classes, social life and all these other aspects, but it's rewarding," she shared. “It's worth it because it puts you ahead. It saves you time and money. It's difficult, but it's a sacrifice that has to be made and it's an investment for your career, for your future," said Esparza.
At graduation, she received both her high school diploma and an Associates of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, Humanities and Communications. She transferred to Vanguard University in 2023 with junior-level standing and aspires to work in human resources or nonprofit executive management to help give back to her community.
Giving Back To The Community That Raised Her
Born and raised in Santa Ana, Esparza is also an active member of her community. During her junior year of high school, she began volunteering with youth at the local Boys and Girls Club where she learned about scholarships, networking, and the importance of mentorship.
Working with youth inspired her to do more – from her own experience, she knew how much she could achieve when granted equitable resources and the support to succeed.
“Most of my volunteer work is in human services, social causes – getting resources for underrepresented communities, low income communities," Esparza said. She organized numerous resource drives on SAC's campus, planning them from the ground up. Necessary products like school supplies, feminine hygiene products, socks, and non-perishable foods were donated to the Orange County Rescue Mission. Animal goods were donated to the Orange County Animal shelter.
Recently, Esparza had the opportunity to shadow Nicole Suydam, CEO of Goodwill of Orange County. “I really looked up to her and I saw myself in her shoes," Esparza shared. “One day I hope to lead an organization that does good for the world and that impacts the community positively too."
To reach her dreams of becoming a CEO executive, she plans to pursue a Master's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology at Vanguard University.
Paving The Way For Latinas
When asked for her thoughts on Latinas in business and leadership, Esparza shared that there's not a lot of female representation. According to Esparza, in some Latino households, it's expected for women to become a housewife and mother, and there may not be a lot of support for Latinas that want to pursue their education.
Fortunately her family is supportive of her aspirations, but she wants to break these barriers for her community.
“I want people to understand that an education is for everyone. If a female wants to study, she should have access and resources to help her get there," Esparza said.
In gratitude for her recent NHBWA scholarship, she hopes to empower Latinas to break generational norms and help pave the way for women and girls to have more opportunities, better salaries and access to education.
“Most times, we limit ourselves to a little box when there's so much more that we can do," she said. “We don't realize our potential until we try. And if you don't try stepping out of your comfort zone or putting in an application, you're not going to find out what you're fully capable of. So just don't be afraid, as long as you try it, it's all going to work out."
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