Sun Devil Spotlight: Alejandra Enriquez

For Alejandra Enriquez, completing her degree at Arizona State University is the result of hard work and dedication, though she says she was fortunate to have a support system around her to help her achieve her goal.

Enriquez credits her family as being an integral part of her support system. The youngest of seven children, she is fortunate to have her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and aunt by her side.

“I am appreciative of everyone in my circle,” Enriquez said.

Enriquez previously attended a junior college in California, where she completed her associate degree in agriculture business. However, it wasn’t until she started working for Starbucks that she learned about ASU’s Starbucks College Achievement Plan. The program helps eligible Starbucks partners achieve 100% tuition coverage at ASU for more than 140 bachelor’s degrees.

After learning about the program and with assistance from her managers, Enriquez applied to transfer to ASU Online. She credits the university’s counselors with helping make the transfer process as seamless as possible.

“Your counselors are going to be your best friends when you transfer,” Enriquez said. “I know how it feels to be intimidated to go into something new, getting out of your comfort zone, but it’s okay. Everything is going to be fine.”

Enriquez said a counselor helped put her on the path toward completing her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership with a concentration in project management. Coming in with transfer credits, a background in community service and experience with the Future Farmers of America, her counselor suggested that this degree would be the best fit.

Enriquez said the support did not stop with her counselors. She also counts ASU Online’s success coaches among the members of her support system.

“One thing I recommend for upcoming ASU Online students is talking to a success coach and counselor. I think that's what helped me get through it. Knowing I could talk to a professional that knows what they're talking about and gets back to me in a timely manner,” Enriquez said. “My counselor helped me set goals, work on time management and create a schedule that worked best for me.”

As for the advice she’d give other Latinas and Latinos considering attending ASU Online, it’s to ask for help when you need it.

“There’s a lot of people that want to help, but we have to take the initiative to ask,” Enriquez said. “I don’t know if it’s personally or just Latinos in general, but we don’t know how to advocate for ourselves because we weren’t taught how to do that.”

Enriquez explained that learning how to seek out opportunities, like internships, helped her advance her education and push herself outside of her comfort zone.

“It does not hurt to ask. The worst they can say is no.”

Enriquez now has a bachelor’s degree to show for her hard work. Though she is not certain where she wants to be in 10 years, she does know that her degree helped put her on a path with exciting opportunities, including completing an Origin Experience in Costa Rica through Starbucks. She knows she wants to have a job involving travel and is currently exploring the corporate side of Starbucks.