Moving around the world never stopped Rosa Garcia A. from pursuing her education. She spent her youth in Mexico - born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and lived in a nearby town, Cuisillos, Jalisco, until she was seven years old. She then lived in San Bernardino County, California, where she graduated high school. Rosa then moved to Corvallis, Oregon before moving to Portland in 2009. After having her daughter, they moved to Sacramento, California, where they lived while she earned her bachelor's of science in business with a finance concentration.
Determined to build a great life for her daughter, Rosa worked hard to achieve it. Many people in her life encouraged and supported her in pursuing further education. 'I'm a single mom, and making enough money to support us and ensure my daughter doesn't have to work through college is a main motivator for me. I want her to have a much easier life than I did.”
With an analytical mindset, Rosa has always felt a passion for trends and patterns, which drew her into the world of business. “I have put my brother to sleep talking about regression analysis of the stock market, and honestly, I find that to be a better option than him taking Ambien.”
Growing up in poverty, Rosa wanted to find ways to make financial equity a part of business conversations. “In Mexican culture, and most non-American cultures, talking about money can be very shameful. I want to make sure women, especially women of color and from marginalized communities, destigmatize making money and making decisions for themselves that give them financial freedom.”
Rosa was drawn to Portland State because of Impact Ventures. Having worked in nonprofits and the public sector, she did not see many small businesses from inception to success. Impact Ventures showed Rosa that there is a way to support businesses committed to the greater good. Rosa pursued an MBA/MSF to bring more awareness to businesses with a passion for helping others.
A piece of advice that Rosa could give any student is that you are not struggling alone. “Finding people to talk to while going through school and academia is vital because the journey may feel lonely at times. But I can promise you that even when you feel the most tired, there are others on the same journey who are looking for others to connect with. Finding your community is an important part of your college experience. Find people with similar values with whom you can be vulnerable to make things better."