Hello, my name is Javier Adonis Martinez. I am originally from Guymon, Oklahoma. It is a melting pot due to the two meat processing plants surrounding our small abode which many do not know about. Our high school’s minority enrollment is 84% with 76% Hispanic and our graduation rate is only 73%. Born from two immigrant parents who migrated to a small town in the panhandle of Oklahoma, they believed in me and the value of education. They urged me to pursue my passions and interests during the entirety of my education in Guymon. I was your typical student. I was involved in anything from athletics to the academic team to the student council. The most life-defining of my activities was our Speech and Debate program. Speech and Debate gave me an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. The state and district tournaments are always held at the University of Oklahoma, which gave me some familiarity with the campus. I participated in the Speech and Debate program until I was a senior in high school, and every year, I got a weekend to imagine myself at this prestigious university. However, when the weekend ended I saw a ceiling that stopped at our local community college.
As a first-generation student, my primary barrier was trying to figure out where to start in the college admissions process. My OU admissions counselor Jill Manning traveled to Guymon and hosted an event to answer questions for students at a local coffee shop. I also met current students like Jema Esparza, who personally shared her OU experience with me and helped me understand this intricate process and scholarship opportunities, like the President’s Leadership Class that accepted me. Because of this, I applied to my childhood dream school. I experienced the magical moment of “acceptance” that I worried a big university could not provide for a rural student.
The real magic was when I stepped onto campus as an undergraduate student. It seemed like all the faculty members knew my name like Quy Nguyen, George Ahlmadi, and Kristen Partridge. That was HUGE to me coming from such a tight-knit community. These small things helped boost my confidence and proved that I could make and find a similar community here in Norman. It was overwhelming seeing the difference in resources that an institution like OU possesses. Programs and Services dedicated to students just like me opened up a community of support such as the Hispanic American Student Association and Miracle Mindset.
Imposter syndrome has been a huge struggle to overcome even to this day. I didn't think studying abroad would be a feasible option for me. Through my college, I studied abroad in France through the Dodge Family College of Arts and Science’s Withrow Leadership Program.
I stay at the University of Oklahoma because of the people I meet each and every day, the people who have given me the acceptance I need to feel like I belong. Here, I have acceptance for who I am—a small-town, first-generation student, and a community that truly accepts and uplifts that. This campus feels like home, especially when you are walking down the South Oval and can find people to wave at left and right.
I truly feel accepted for who I am and what I stand for.
I want future students to feel these same things when they attend this university.
Boomer Sooner!
Javier Martinez
