'They came with nothing and gave me everything.' Tech recruitment specialist honors immigrant family
Tennessee Tech alumna and recruitment specialist Maria Baltazar.
In some ways, Maria Baltazar’s journey to working at Tennessee Tech University was
a short trip down the street and, in others, an international trek marked by selfless
sacrifice and love.
A Cookeville native, Baltazar’s earliest memories of Tech stem from the fourth grade,
when fire damage at her elementary school caused her class to be temporarily relocated
to Tech’s campus. Baltazar recalls how the university made the displaced students
feel at home, even giving them t-shirts that said “Little Eaglets” – a nod to Tech’s
identity as the Golden Eagles.
In later years, Baltazar’s parents, who did not have the opportunity to pursue higher
education, would drive by the university and proclaim to their young daughter, “You’re
going to go there someday." Baltazar did exactly that, becoming the first generation
in her family to attain a college degree, along with her sister.
The daughter of working-class Guatemalan immigrants, Baltazar recalls how her parents’
journey to the United States laid the foundation for the success she would later discover.
“They literally came here with maybe a plastic bag with some extra clothes in there,
just looking to have a new life … hoping that, for my sister and me, we could have
a different future and different path,” Baltazar explained on a recent episode of Tech’s “College Town Talk” podcast.
Baltazar’s mother worked during the day, so her father, who worked a night shift job,
would often be the one to attend events during the school day with Baltazar.
“Thinking back now, it makes me emotional because I'm just so appreciative,” said
Baltazar. “I know he was tired, and I know he had long nights, and he would sleep
less, but he would be present. And then same with my mom … Their jobs were physical.
The labor was different than me coming home after sitting in an office or at school.”
Baltazar went on explain that, while her cultural heritage had emphasized household
work for young women, her parents determined from an early age that she would be afforded
opportunities to get a formal education.
Maria Baltazar (second from right) is pictured with Tech President Phil Oldham and
colleagues in the Office of Access, Belonging and Community Outreach. From left: Graduate
assistants Lia Nesbitt, Autezia Sellers and Xavier Washington, Tech President Phil
Oldham, Senior Executive for Access and Community Outreach Robert Owens, Baltazar
and Department Coordinator Margo Dirkson.
“Culturally, a lot of the times for a female, for a daughter at a young age, they’re
having to cook and clean, and then you can do your homework, but that was kind of
on the back burner,” said Baltazar. “My parents didn't do that with us. They always
were like 'no, you need to make good grades, you need to do your homework.'"
When Baltazar graduated with her first of two degrees from Tech’s College of Education
& Human Sciences, she knew it represented a milestone for not only herself, but her
entire family. So, when it came time to take part in the Tech tradition of decorating
her mortarboard for commencement, Baltazar knew just what to say.
While many students opted for humorous messages, the top of Baltazar’s graduation
cap read, “For my parents. They came with nothing and gave me everything.”
Following graduation, Baltazar fulfilled her goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher
at the very place where her love of education first took hold as a young child: Jere
Whitson Elementary School in Cookeville.
The school is known for its caring faculty and staff, deep sense of community and
sizable population of students from immigrant and non-English speaking households.
“My heart was very much at Jere Whitson whenever I wanted to be a teacher – just wanting
to go back and inspire those students, that school specifically, and kind of give
back to where I came from,” Baltazar said.
Baltazar taught through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and was settling back into
the classroom when her alma mater came calling with an opportunity in the university’s
new Office of Access, Belonging and Community Outreach.
“[The university] had noticed the increase in Hispanic students coming to campus and
were just wanting to hear our journeys and what they could do to support those students,”
said Baltazar, who explained that the new office had been working on a job description
for an additional staff member for some time. “From there, earlier this year, they
created a position in this office as a recruitment specialist.”
According to a university one-pager, the Office of Access, Belonging and Community
Outreach seeks to "create a campus climate where all people are respected and valued,
and everyone has an opportunity to find connection and belonging” – something Baltazar
sees as a natural extension of her years in the classroom.
“We just work on doing our best to create an accepting environment where they [students,
faculty and staff] feel like they belong – just helping them get connected to different
resources, whether it be in the community or the university, to feel at home and find
their people,” she explained.
Today, Baltazar looks at Tech with deep gratitude – not just for her education or
career, but for changing the trajectory of her family’s future.
“It just gave me that opportunity to make my parents' sacrifices worth it,” said Baltazar.
“I’m very excited to see where I can go and who I can help on this journey.”
Listen to Baltazar’s full “College Town Talk” interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora and other platforms.