For recent UHD grad Emily Martinez (’25, Criminal Justice), participating in public roles while a student at UHD mirrored the way she spent her personal time.
A longtime community volunteer, Martinez also served in UHD’s student government and completed internships with the Harris County Sherrif’s Department and the Houston Police Department.
One of her most meaningful experiences at UHD involved working with UHD’s Career Center for three years, initially as a student assistant and later promoted to career peer advisor.
“One of the things I thought about when applying to UHD’s Criminal Justice program was how much of an advantage the school has because of its downtown location,” Martinez says. “I knew I’d need the courts, jails, police—everything, really—to be nearby if I hoped to get internships or a position later.”
Martinez’s choice of UHD paid off. She secured a position with Crime Stoppers as an education specialist almost immediately after graduation.
“I was at commencement and subtly checking my phone for word on whether or not I’d gotten the job,” Martinez says. “The next day, they offered me the position of education specialist.”
In addition to the school’s downtown location, Martinez credits her professors for giving her a leg up when it came to landing a job in her field.
“They really instilled in me a love for a criminal justice career,” Martinez says. “And the professors are very dedicated to giving students an overall picture of what the criminal justice system looks like. It’s not perfect, but our criminal justice system determines how society as a whole works.”
In her new role, Martinez will educate community members on how to prevent becoming a victim of crime, as she also brings awareness to the issues that affect communities.
“I’ll be able to apply what I learned during my time at UHD in my new role,” Martinez says. “All my internships, my degree, my leadership roles—it all works together so I can contribute to my community and make a difference.”