ODI Scholar’s long-term advocacy for social change extends into Appalachian communities

(Editor’s note: This article is being republished courtesy of OSU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. For more information, visit https://odi.osu.edu.)

As Office of Diversity and Inclusion Scholar (Morrill Scholarship Program) Alexandra Martinez-Mendez reaches the end of her undergraduate degree, she shared some experiences that shaped her time at The Ohio State University.

Hailing from the small town of Hillsboro, Ohio, Alexandra Martinez-Mendez has made it her mission to actively apply what she has learned throughout her pursuit of her health sciences degree towards advocacy for members of the Appalachian community.

“I chose health sciences because I wanted to pursue a medical degree and become a physician,” explains Martinez. “Here at Ohio State and especially in the health sciences curriculum, we learn all about the healthcare system and what that entails for different populations.

“Looking at this as a person of color, it's clear the conversation around minority health is really big, and that is amazing. However, there's another part of me that is from this rural area, and there's very little to no conversation about that here. That's why I've been advocating for rural health care, and that has led me to my passion.”

Martinez's passion has manifested in a variety of ways, most prominently through her series of educational presentations titled “Ohio Rural Healthcare and Its Intersects on Appalachian Communities.” These presentations have reached over 150 students in pre-health oriented student organizations, including the OSUCOM ASPIRE Cohort.

Fortunately, Martinez has been able to see the impact of her work through the positive feedback from her peers. “I've had several people come up to me to tell me how my presentation encouraged them to look into rural health and OSU Medical Center or to announce that they're joining a new track focused on rural health, which has felt so great to know what I'm doing actually makes a difference.”

As president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), dedicated researcher at Nationwide's Children Hospital and soon-to-be chair for the Ohio Rural New Health Professionals for the Ohio Rural Health, it's no surprise that Martinez is reaching a wide audience. Even with the demand from these roles, she has found time to give back to members from her community.

“ODI has helped me so much both financially and academically. I can speak not only for myself, but for the 10 students from my high school who have come to OSU,” she said. “They've all been women of color who have received financial aid through MSP. It's a big factor for people from these poor communities; we need resources to be able to achieve our goals. I've been a mentor for them, I meet with them every couple weeks to check in on them to see how they're doing, but also building from my role as a student who knows what it's like to be under programs like MSP.”

Martinez recalled her own transition into Ohio State and mentorship she received from faculty and other ODI Scholars.

“I grew up in the restaurant business, serving my community and building relationships since we were a part of the only four dining restaurants in my town,” she said. “One customer was an alum of OSU and reached out to faculty saying, ‘Hey, can we set up a meeting with a prospective student?' I went to this meeting with Yolanda Zepeda, and we talked about all the opportunities for me here. That is how I found out about MSP, in that first meeting.”

Martinez continued, “I recently had lunch with Yolanda not long ago and brought that up… and so I built a relationship with her over these years through my involvement in ODI and SACNAS. She really impacted me to be where I am now.”

Martinez has some advice for incoming students looking to build a strong community at Ohio State: “Really take advantage of the opportunities within the first two weeks of school. For first-gen students I know there's a program just for that. I took part in the Latinx Early Arrival Program, which at the time was through what is now The Center for Belonging and Social Change. That program really set the tone for the beginning of my freshman year. I mean, I'm still friends with people I met through there, and mentorship was really awesome on the Morrill Scholars side.

“There are so many subsets you can get involved with at The Center for Belonging and Social Change and ODI, and there's different programs that they can apply to later on. Just take advantage of the resources now.”