Covenant scholars and sisters will soon be doctors
Being able to graduate debt-free thanks to the Carolina Covenant turned the Martinez sisters’ dreams into reality.
The three Martinez sisters — Amaya Martinez Mesa ’17 and twins Nathalie and Nicole Martinez ’24 — have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the support they received from the Carolina Covenant and the many ways it helped them reach their goals.
“I wish that every student could make the choice of going to college with the type of support we had,” said Amaya, now in her third rotation working toward a medical degree in the UNC School of Medicine.
In its 20 years, the Carolina Covenant has given many thousands of outstanding low-income students the opportunity to graduate without the burden of debt through a combination of grants, scholarships and work-study.
As the trailblazer, Amaya was able to provide inspiration and support to her sisters as they made the move north from Miami. In fact, it was a visit from the twins to Chapel Hill the previous year that Amaya credits with planting a seed. “We went hiking,” she said, “and we explored the campus. We had a great visit. That was the first time I thought maybe they would apply.”
The Carolina Covenant helped ease that transition in more ways than the Martinezes could ever have imagined.
The financial support was crucial. “I remember looking at the award letter with my mom and realizing that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Nicole.
Nathalie added, “Without the Carolina Covenant, I may have stayed in Florida and lived at home for financial reasons. I applied to other schools, but none of them provided this level of financial assistance.”
As undergraduates, Nicole and Nathalie were also able to volunteer at medical clinics in Bolivia at no cost to themselves, thanks to the combined efforts of leaders in the Carolina Covenant and the Office of Global Health Education — the project’s organizing program. As a result, they gained an amazing cross-cultural experience with direct application to their future academic goals.
Nathalie and Nicole are preparing for medical school, an opportunity made possible because Carolina Covenant enabled them to graduate without student debt. “Medical school is expensive,” Nicole said. “We would never have considered it if we already had debt from our undergraduate degrees.”
Twins Nathalie (left) and Nicole graduated from Carolina this past spring and are studying for medical school. (Submitted photo)
Beyond financial support
What the Martinezes didn’t expect was everything else the Covenant had to offer. The thoughtful mentoring, practical advice and family-like atmosphere the program provided really impressed all of the Martinez sisters.
“I don’t think I would have made it through that first semester if it hadn’t been for [then-director] Brian Hogan and the resources he connected me to,” said Amaya, who appreciated the personal care and support of the Covenant’s program staff. “They genuinely care about your well-being.”
As a way to give back, Amaya now serves on the alumni advisory board for the program, starting a highly attended medical-student-led seminar to help prepare other Covenant Scholars, like her sisters, to apply to medical school successfully.
“I hope that my daughters’ legacies are the love and kindness they leave in others,” said Roberto Martinez, the proud father who credits the Covenant with making their dreams a reality. “As future physicians, this is extremely important. Hard work and dedication combined with passion takes you very far in life.”
