A ‘dream come true’ supported by Day of Giving

Meredith Martinez left NC State in 2017 as a proud alumna of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE), but she always knew she wasn’t saying goodbye forever.

Martinez, who is an assistant teaching professor and the coordinator of undergraduate advising for CCEE, was hired this past year thanks to donations from the annual fundraising event Day of Giving. The next one is March 26, 2025.

“As an undergraduate scholarship recipient myself, it’s really impactful to see that alumni and donors want to give back and want to see students be successful,” Martinez said.

Even before Martinez came to NC State for her undergraduate degree, she knew she was destined to be a member of the Wolfpack. She’s a fourth-generation NC State student, and both of her parents are engineers.

“Growing up, I had the NC State onesie and the NC State cheerleading outfits,” she said. “When I was looking at colleges, it was the one that made sense, but it was also the one that when I visited, it felt like home.”

Before Martinez graduated, she approached her mentor, Tarek Aziz, who is currently an associate professor in CCEE and was the coordinator of advising for the department before Martinez. She told him, “I want your job one day. How do I get your job?”

“He said, you know, go to graduate school and do good work, and hopefully at some point, something will work out to where you can come back,” Martinez said. “And I’m really fortunate to have been able to make that dream come true seven years later.”

Martinez’s job now is a mix of teaching and advising, and she especially loves the intersection of the two.

“I really love getting in the classroom, getting students involved and helping them see how the natural world is connected,” she said. “I also get to advise students and hear about their goals and what they’re looking to do in a career. Being able to support them in that and help guide them and find a path that works best for them is just really exciting to see.

“Opportunities are out there for students if they’re willing to pursue them,” she continued. “It’s an amazing generation coming through, so I’m excited to see what they’ll continue to do.”