The , a highly selective two-year initiative designed for recent college graduates, offers a unique opportunity to engage with high-impact nonprofits in major metropolitan areas such as Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. Patel will be working with Reading Partners, an organization in New York dedicated to fostering childhood literacy.

The road to this accomplishment was not without its twists and turns. Recounting her time at UofL, Patel reflected on the initial ambiguity of her academic journey.

“There was a running joke with my friends about how many times I changed my major. There was always a lot of uncertainty for me,” Patel said.

Patel ultimately chose a degree in sociology and an individualized degree in social biology after taking classes she enjoyed in the majors.

“I didn’t know where sociology was leading me, but I knew I wanted to take more classes after I took my first one,” said Patel. “My academic background prepared me to work in this field because now I have a deep and intricate understanding of social issues.”

During her two-years as a Community Engagement Fellow, Patel will provide one-on-one tutoring and complete a special project focused on volunteer recruitment. The work will be similar to an experience she had her first year at UofL volunteering with , a non-profit dedicated to early literacy interventions, as part of a .

“I really enjoyed doing that work and saw the impact in the students I mentored. That was what drew me to apply to Reading Partners,” said Patel. “It’s funny how things work out. At the time, doing that, I didn’t know where it was going to lead me and now I will be doing very similar work in the next two years.”

Amidst the excitement for what’s next, Patel remains grounded, acknowledging the pivotal role UofL played in shaping her aspirations for social impact.

“I’m very thankful for not only my professors, of course, who made their classes impactful but also for the that provided me the opportunity to live with and be surrounded by people that have similar interests,” Patel said.

“My husband said to me, ‘You don’t like this job, you don’t like what you’re doing. Go back to school and do something you want to do,'” Martin said.

In her previous job, Martin enjoyed training new talent and wanted to pursue a degree in human resources. Her stepdaughters were also an inspiration.

“I watched what they went through in their own lives and what inspired them. They needed a good role model,” said Martin. “No one ever thought I would be a college drop-out. I wanted to go back to get my bachelor’s degree for them but also for myself.”

This spring, Martin will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in management, completed online while working full-time. She will also become the second student to complete the management certification.

Established in 2021, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence in the focuses on recruiting and educating underrepresented populations and women on the possibilities of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship. The franchise management course, which Martin initially intended to just be an elective, was a turning point in her academic journey.

“Ten minutes into the recorded orientation from center director Kathy Gosser and I knew they were the best thing ever,” Martin said.

Opportunities began opening for Martin. She applied to attend the 2024 International Franchise Association convention, where she joined three other students on a 5-day trip to Arizona to meet with franchisers, business owners and others.

“Without the College of Business and without the Yum! Global Center for Franchise Excellence, I would not have had that amazing experience,” Martin said.   

As she neared graduation, Martin felt a sense of accomplishment going from a college dropout to successful business student and she thought she was done. But then, a professor challenged her to think about what came next.

“I realized there is more out there,” Martin said.

Martin was accepted into the program and will return to UofL in the fall.

“You’re never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream,” she said. “Opportunities are out there; you just have to work hard and go for it.”