No Map, No Problem: How Rose Martinez Turned Personal Struggle into Systemic Solutions
- Catherine Huckaby
- Oct 22
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 25
Some of the best people to lead a community are the ones nobody saw coming. Rose Martinez didn't set out to become a national advocate for Hispanic families in STEM education. She was simply a teenage mother trying to survive college, handle parenthood, and figure out how to build a better life for her children.
Today, she leads national programming at SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), empowering Hispanic parents across the country to support their children's dreams. Her journey from first-generation college student to community engagement expert reveals profound truths about resilience, service, and the impact of believing in people who have been overlooked.
The Reality of First-Generation College Life: When Nobody Can Show You the Way
"I started my family really young, had my first kid at 19 and my second at 21, and soon found myself as a divorced mom and college student without a job."
As a first-generation college student, she faced challenges that went far beyond coursework and deadlines. "There weren’t programs for first generation college students, there wasn't a lot of support out there. I initially chose the school I attended just because I didn't have to live on campus."
The isolation of not knowing how to work through higher education while raising two young children led her down a seven-year journey to graduation, including what she describes as "30 more credits than needed to graduate. They counted towards nothing but my student loan debt." Her experience captures the reality many first-generation students face—the constant uncertainty of blazing a trail without a map.
Why Parent Engagement Requires More Than Good Intentions
Her transition from student to teacher opened her eyes to systemic gaps that would later define her life's work. Teaching Spanish in a Title I school where "the majority of our families were speaking Spanish at home" and "the majority of the parents immigrated here from various Spanish-speaking countries," she witnessed firsthand how assumptions and cultural misunderstandings create barriers between schools and families.
"My husband didn’t grow up in the US, and as parents, we faced challenges stemming from cultural understandings towards our education system. I started realizing that so many families have the same knowledge gaps that I was facing with my husband for years, but for some, it's both of them."
Rose explains, "Most immigrant families don’t have anyone in the household who grew up in the U.S. and who knows the system from the inside out."
The breaking point came when she heard colleagues dismissing entire communities. The frustration still comes through in her voice:
"It would bother me to feel and hear the mentality of colleagues, ‘how dare you tell an entire community that they don't care about their kids’ education’."
This moment sparked her transition from classroom teacher to community advocate, showing her that parent engagement requires understanding, not judgment.
Building Bridges: How Cultural Understanding Transforms Communities
One of her most remarkable achievements was learning Spanish, starting in high school, and becoming fluent as an adult specifically to serve her community better. This decision reflects a depth of commitment that goes beyond job requirements to genuine relationship-building.
Her personal experience with cultural differences in her new marriage to an immigrant prepared her to recognize similar struggles in the families she would eventually serve.
"I was also helping my husband understand our culture and asking him to help me make decisions about our kids schooling and he just felt completely lost. I didn't want to be the sole decision maker, so I started teaching him."
Rather than making assumptions about bilingual families, she understood the complexity of maintaining cultural identity while accessing American systems. This lived experience has become the foundation for her approach to community engagement.
The Power of Simple Interventions: Transforming Parent-Teacher Conferences
Her breakthrough moment came from addressing something most people would think simple: parent-teacher conferences.
"It started out as a program about how to prep for parent-teacher conferences. I felt the tension between staff and parents. The parents showed up because they were asked to but felt so overwhelmed that most didn't feel comfortable asking questions."
This intervention grew into comprehensive family engagement programming that addressed real barriers rather than surface-level solutions. She recognized that parents weren't disengaged; they were working through systems without roadmaps.
"I found myself giving additional workshops to the parents of my students and eventually growing that to include any parent that wanted help."
What started as conference preparation evolved into comprehensive support that met families where they were.
From Local Impact to National Influence: Leading Hispanic STEM Advocacy
Her current role at SHPE represents the evolution of her community engagement philosophy into national impact. SHPE, which has over 20,000 members nationwide was started by a couple of Hispanic engineers in Los Angeles area who felt totally siloed and wanted to break stereotypes about Hispanic professionals in STEM fields.
Through the "Equipando Padres" (Equipping Parents) program, she now delivers curriculum nationwide, helping Hispanic parents understand how to support their children's education journey. The program has expanded from a few modules to help parents of precollege students through the college application process to include what she helped bring to life: ten modules focused on parents of university students about the fundamentals of college life – what does an engineering degree entail, the role of an academic advisor, free services included in tuition like tutoring, and more.
The program addresses knowledge gaps that Rose explains "is assumed in our culture is easy to access, when in reality it can be very cumbersome to access." Her approach focuses on making it accessible to families, rather than creating entirely new resources.
Civic Engagement Beyond Voting: Teaching Young People Their Voice Matters
Her commitment to civic engagement extends beyond traditional voter outreach. In addition to working with countless elected officials and community leaders, she’s worked extensively with high school students, recognizing that many "don't pay attention to politics because they don't have a voice in voting." Her goal: show them alternative ways to influence their communities.
"I remember having student conversations that were so powerful because they couldn’t vote but wanted to figure out how to shape the type of education they and their siblings had."
She recalls from her work organizing student phone banks and student-led civic engagement forums.
One of her most successful initiatives involved students and families advocating for intersection safety improvements near their school.
"They invited people to come to the campus and walk through it step by step, to learn why it was so dangerous. It worked; we got that intersection totally revamped with turn arrows and longer pedestrian crossing lights."
The impact of this work extends far beyond immediate safety improvements—it teaches young people that their voices matter and that change is possible when they engage strategically with civic systems.
Measuring Success Through Trust and Transformation
When asked how she knows when community engagement is working well, her answer reveals the depth of relationship-building that effective engagement requires:
"It’s when people trust you enough to ask you questions that have nothing to do with what your program offers. And they refer people that they know to come and get the same help."
This trust-based approach recognizes that meaningful community engagement goes beyond programmatic outcomes to genuine relationship-building.
"A referral is the best way to say thank you."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this trust became even more apparent. Rose found herself fielding calls that had nothing to do with her official role because families knew they could count on her for honest information during uncertain times.
The Multiplier Effect: How One Teacher's Impact Ripples Through Generations
Rose's influence extends far beyond immediate programming. Years after teaching, she continues to encounter students whose lives were changed by her advocacy and encouragement. One former student told his parents that he "really owe[s] a lot to you because I would have never thought about political science as my major... I would never have known about this non-profit if it weren't for your club."
Another student, now an entrepreneur, recently told her:
"If I am half the parent that you were to your kids, I'll be happy... you have to know you're probably the best mom I've ever known in my life."
These testimonials show how community engagement crosses generations, influencing not just immediate participants but their future families and communities.
Defining True Community Engagement: A Two-Way Partnership
She defines effective community engagement as mutual effort:
"I think it's very much the nonprofits, government entities, schools, companies reaching out to families, but also families that have to take a step towards them to be curious and want to find that help for themselves. I think it’s a collaboration of both sides taking a step towards each other to try to meet in the middle and fill those gaps."
This definition challenges one-directional approaches to community work, emphasizing partnership over service delivery. Sustainable engagement requires active participation from all stakeholders, not just professional service providers.
Essential Advice for Aspiring Public Servants: Lessons from the Front Lines
Start Where You Are, Not Where You Think You Should Be
Her philosophy is clear: "If there's a barrier, it's up to you if you want to let it stop you or not." Her journey demonstrates that community leadership doesn't require perfect credentials or ideal circumstances, it requires commitment to serving others despite personal challenges.
Listen Before You Lead
Understanding that parents are experts on their own children's needs shapes everything she does. "The only person in this entire world that wants what's best for my kids is me," she explains. This perspective helps community workers recognize that families aren't deficient—they're working through complex systems without adequate support.
Build Real Relationships, Not Just Programs
Effective engagement happens when people see you as a trusted resource, not just a service provider. This requires showing up consistently and authentically over time.
Address Systemic Issues, Not Just Individual Problems
Challenge assumptions and advocate for structural changes that address root causes rather than symptoms. Rose pushed for cultural relevancy training for staff, recognizing that individual parent workshops wouldn't solve institutional gaps.
Use Your Voice Even When You're Not Comfortable
Rose admits, "I am so shy. Every time I was asked to do media interviews, I thought, ‘are you serious’"? Personal comfort zones shouldn't prevent you from advocating for communities that need support. Effectiveness grows with practice, not perfection.
Celebrate Small Wins and Document Your Impact
"I should probably write down some of these stories for myself someday," she reflects. Keep track of success stories to sustain motivation during challenging periods and to share the power of community engagement with others.
Learn the Languages and Cultures of Communities You Serve
Her decision to learn Spanish as an adult demonstrates that effective community engagement sometimes requires personal investment that goes beyond job descriptions. This commitment shows communities that you're serious about serving them well.
Connect Individual Stories to Larger Systems Change
"I brought my students to the swearing in ceremony of our new school board directors; they were rubbing elbows with elected officials and CEOs." Help community members understand how their voices connect to larger decision-making processes and create pathways for meaningful civic participation.
The Ongoing Journey: Why Community Engagement Is Never Complete
Rose's story continues to evolve as she faces new challenges. Her transparency about ongoing struggles reinforces that community leaders are real people facing real challenges, not superhuman figures without problems.
"My life's really hard right now. I’m juggling a life that has close family across borders and requires very intentional travel, support, and constant decision-making."
This authenticity makes her more effective as a community leader because people can relate to her struggles while being inspired by her persistence.
Why Rose's Story Matters for Every Community
Her journey from teenage single mother to national community leader offers hope and practical guidance for anyone interested in community engagement. Her story demonstrates that effective leadership emerges from lived experience combined with commitment to serving others.
Her work shows how individual transformation can create systemic change. By empowering parents to advocate for their children, Rose has influenced thousands of families to engage more actively with schools, civic institutions, and STEM opportunities.
Her approach—building trust, addressing real barriers, and creating pathways for others to succeed—provides a blueprint for authentic community engagement that creates lasting change rather than temporary relief.
For aspiring public servants, her story offers both inspiration and practical guidance: start where you are, listen deeply, build genuine relationships, and never underestimate the impact one committed person can have on entire communities.
As she reflects on her unlikely journey, Rose's perspective captures the power of defying expectations:
"There is no reason on Earth that I should be doing as well as I am. None. If I had followed the stereotype set for Latinas in college, for teen moms, for divorcees, we should not be as well-adjusted as we are."
She is proud of her strong marriage and 3 kids, 2 who are now in college, with the youngest earning high grades at a private, college-prep high school.
That she defied these stereotypes while lifting others to do the same represents the best of what community engagement can achieve: individual transformation that creates collective change, one family, one student, one parent at a time.
Resources and Organizations Mentioned
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is a national organization focused on leading Hispanics in STEM with over 20,000 members nationwide.
Metro State University, Denver is a public university serving commuter students and first-generation college students.
Equipando Padres (Equipping Parents) is SHPE's national curriculum helping Hispanic parents support their children's STEM education.
Equipando Padres University is an extended program focusing on parents of college students with modules covering academic advisors, tutoring resources, and university systems.
