For much of Mauri Garcia’s life, the barriers she faced seemed insurmountable. Her mother is from El Salvador and her father is a Black man from the south whom she says lived through segregation, and her family is all too familiar with adversity and discrimination.
A first-generation American raised in a Spanish-speaking household, Mauri moved from California to Arizona at a young age and was always aware of the socio-economic barriers that stood between her and future success. Financial hardship forced her into the workforce so she could support her family during her senior year of high school, and though she worked hard to learn English asa young girl in elementary school, she says she didn’t feel she received much support from the faculty.
“I was being told, ‘Well, your prospects are kind of low, and you’re not really a top-performing student,’” she recalls.
Worse, her attempt at going to college after graduating high school fizzled when she found it impossible to juggle the demands of the physical classroom while also working and taking care of her siblings. These challenges are not uncommon for adult learners, and for a teenage Mauri, it forced her to put off school until she could find an alternative to fit her schedule.
Despite excelling at her jobs in retail and banking, her desire for a degree remained, and eventually the opportunity came her way again.
“It was hard to curate my schedule, and [college] seemed almost impossible until I joined my previous employer that had a partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus,” she says.
The partnership allowed Mauri to earn her degree without out-of-pocket expenses for tuition or books.
Eliminating the financial barrier – coupled with the flexibility of the online classroom – gave Mauri a realistic path to earn her bachelor’s degree in social and criminal justice at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC). Still, she was fighting an internal battle over whether she truly belonged in the classroom, and would later learn that battle had a name – Imposter Syndrome.
Watch the Video
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Impostor Syndrome is defined as, “The persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” And it’s a syndrome Mauri says she knows all too well.
Mauri admits her impostor syndrome stemmed from “believing the negative self-talk” and other harmful language she heard growing up.
To better herself and her attitude, she says she chooses to focus on progress over perfection, with the guidance of her family and the faculty at UAGC.
“I am still actively working on this, but I have come a long way,” she admits today. “The steps I took to overcome impostor syndrome were to remind myself that I am enough, and I had to learn to validate myself versus relying on others to validate me.”
To help believe this mantra, she recalls advice she received from one of her instructors at UAGC: “Center yourself around people who have like-minded views and values, as they will lift and encourage you, and you will lift and encourage them – encouragers, not discouragers.”
Mauri directly credits her UAGC instructors for helping her overcome this barrier.
"I'm a different person now from when I started," she explains. "It truly takes a village. "I had to learn how to assess my life and make improvements in the areas that were impeding my progress. I feel more empowered now. It's important for me to share my story, because I want to lift others as I climb."
Expanding Self-awareness and Global Awareness
At the beginning of her education journey, just getting her foot in the door at college was enough for Mauri. Then, as things started “flowing,” she began to piece together an idea of what her future could look like.
Mauri’s degree choice aligned with her work at the bank. She began as a teller and gradually her inquisitive nature led her into investigating anti-financial crimes – money laundering, human trafficking, and related fraud such as elder abuse and terrorist financing. Today, she is a Lead Compliance Officer and assists organizations in remaining compliant and maintaining comprehensive compliance programs that adhere to banking regulations.
As she climbed the ladder at work, Mauri continued to perform at the highest level in school, and her grades earned her an invitation to the Honors College at UAGC. Taking honors courses allowed Mauri to think deeper about societal issues and the same obstacles she overcame in her younger years.
Knowing she wants to be part of the change, she’s committed much of her time to volunteer work, assisting the unhoused in her community and “get out the vote” organizations.
“I already kind of knew what path I was on, but that really broadened my horizons,” she says.
Through community involvement, Mauri realized she wants to become an attorney, with her bachelor’s degree as the foundation that is helping her prepare for the LSAT and law school.
“I have expanded my self-awareness and global awareness,” she says. “In my personal life, enhancing my critical thinking skills and leadership has allowed me to be more cognizant of the impact I have in this world and how I can creatively solve societal and organizational issues. “It also allows me to be a better community advocate and human.”
Honoring Her Legacy
Mauri’s success led to her being chosen to speak at the ribbon-cutting for the UAGC headquarters in Arizona. At the event, she spoke of her journey and how she honors those who came before her. Mauri is uniquely aware of what her success means to her family’s legacy. Her grandmother was born and raised in El Salvador and had no access to education until her grandfather paid a private teacher to come to their rural area of town and teach her and her siblings how to read and write.
Mauri’s grandmother later sent her children, including Mauri’s mother, to the United States, in hopes of giving them a brighter future.
“She was selfless and never got to fulfill her career or educational goals,” Mauri says. “Education is an immense privilege and the best way to show up for our community is through education and knowledge. “I didn’t come this far to come this far. She made all the sacrifices, and it’s up to me to continue her legacy and take advantages of the opportunities that I was provided.”
Though Mauri thanks her grandmother for the opportunities she has received, she also attributes much of her success to the support of her husband, whom she says helped her to push through when the encountered challenges and obstacles with her career and education.
"He's always rooting for me and uplifting me and honestly all women in his life because he knows women belong in all places where decisions are made," she wrote in a recent social media post.
--
Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.