Esmeralda Ortiz

My name is Esmeralda Ortiz At only two years old, I immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico with my mother and grandfather. I was fortunate to become a U.S. citizen at 16 which secured my legal status and allowed me to travel and visit family in Mexico. Citizenship also gave me the opportunity to attend college and apply for financial aid during my educational career. I had finished my GEs at SRJC back in 2008 and even though I was accepted into hutchins school of liberal studies, I attended class for one day before dropping out of the program. I decided that transferring to a four-year school was not for me, at least not at the time. As a first generation college student, I felt like I was letting my family down, but I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted to accomplish something else before being thrown into a teaching career at only 21. I ended up returning back to SRJC and discovered the culinary arts program. I developed an immediate passion for food and wine and received an AA in culinary arts. I also met many in the industry with the same passion. For the past eight years, I have worked full time in the hospitality industry. I have worked in popular and award-winning restaurants, wineries and catering companies across Sonoma County.

After a long 10 year break from traditional academic schooling, I decided to transfer to SSU to complete my bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. I am still very passionate for the industry and know that furthering my education will open more opportunities. Teaching is something that I have always wanted to do. I just felt like I needed a bit more life experience before I could authentically teach others. As a 31 year old re-entry student, SSU has been an amazing school to transition back into being a full-time student. Most recently, my classes have sparked an interest in social justice relating specifically to education and food. Having a background in culinary arts, I feel a need to advocate for these issues. Most recently I have been a volunteer for Corazon Healdsburg, a non- profit which helps bridge the cultural and racial divide in Healdsburg. I have the same passion at SSU for my studies with professors and peers as I had previously found in my culinary career.

The addition of being a full time student while working to support myself is not easy. I am endlessly tired! But I have coffee to help. I work over 30 hours a week on top of school, leaving me with a tight schedule, but I always find a way to spend time with friends and family that support me in my educational career. A combination of determination, work ethic and encouragement from professors has finally helped me develop a sense of pride with my status as a successful student, something I didn’t honor myself with before.