Maria Martinez ’07

Math & Computer Science
Pendleton, Oregon

A women’s college on the east coast was the last place I would have imagined myself. I’m the only person from my high school who went to college east of Montana. I wanted a school where classes were small and professors were accessible. I also wanted a liberal arts environment where the education of the whole person is emphasized.

I was planning to be an English major but my plans changed when I took an amazing calculus class with an incredible teacher. Then, on a whim, I took computer science. Now I’m a math and computer science double major. If I was at a school with rigid course requirements, I may not have had the chance to discover that I love these subjects.

As a STRIDE scholar, I helped Betsey Harries, chair of the English Department, research fairy tales for an article. Next year I’ll be helping classics professor, Thalia Pandiri, with a literary journal she’s publishing.