ion

Emily Rodriguez ’21, social work major

Employer: SaintA, a Wisconsin nonprofit serving children in foster care and their families

Role: Child welfare case manager

For Jennifer Martinez, family has always been her inspiration. It turns out that they sparked her imagination, too. At a family gathering, Martinez and her cousins challenged each other to recreate a Mexican candy. “The candy became a sensation in our family and was requested for every family party. Until someone asked, ‘why don’t you sell this outside the family?’ And we said, ‘why not?’”

Thus, their business of Picosito Sweets was born. “Coming up with the name of the candy was challenging because we wanted it to represent its Mexican heritage and mix of flavors ― sweet but sour with a little bit of spice,” Martinez explains.

Martinez and her cousins were startled by the amount of support they received from friends and the community. They began by advertising the candy to their friends on Instagram and Snapchat, and orders have steadily increased. Through it all, Jennifer has successfully applied what she has learned as an Alverno student to the business.

“Being a business management student at Alverno has definitely given me the confidence to take on this challenge,” she says. “Alverno has cultivated in me the abilities to know how to lead and how to serve.”

― Melissa Zacaula Luna, class of 2022

“I serve as an in-court advocate for kids and their biological families. I also ensure that everyone has the resources they need during foster placements. The ultimate goal is family reunification.”

Her motivations: Her son Julian, who turned 1 in July, the family and friends who cheered her on, and her social work faculty members, Crystal Aschenbrener and Luci Staudacher, who supported Rodriguez’s needs as a new mom and “always kept pushing me to go further.”

Another key motivation? The families whom she serves as a social worker. “Reunification with the families is the best moment. Seeing the whole family together and happy makes me happy.”

What Alverno means to her: “Going to an all-women’s college helped me academically and helped me grow as a person. Alverno helped me mature and get ready for my career.”