Naomi Garcia-Hector
A phone call from family friends changed everything for Naomi Garcia-Hector, inspiring a move from Tampa, Fla., to Atlanta and paving a pathway for her future in public policy and social advocacy. We talk with the rising junior about her experiences at Georgia State and her dreams for the future.
Interview by Torie Robinette Durham
You grew up in Florida. What attracted you to Atlanta?
It’s a bit of a funny story. I was born and raised in Tampa, and I literally lived in the same house my entire life. So, when it came to graduating from high school, I was ready for something different. A couple of family friends of mine are professors here at Georgia State, and they always call to check in on me.
They happened to call one day and asked about my college plans. I told them I was looking at in-state schools, and that’s when they mentioned Georgia State. As a Florida resident, I had never heard of Georgia State, but they told me really great things. They knew I was looking for more of a city feel.
I was ready to get away from my suburban upbringing and said, “Why not look into it?” When I learned that it was right in the heart of Atlanta, a place I’d visited a few times growing up, I was sold.
I could tell it was an environment where they just wanted me to succeed, and that was exactly what I wanted. Between the kind people, the great environment and just it being in the city and the heart of everything culturally, with the headquarters of a ton of good businesses, there are just so many great things going on here. I knew it would be right for me.
Tell us about your student assistantship through the Intensive English Program (IEP).
I am a part of the University Assistantship Program, which is through the Honors College. I get to work in the Intensive English Program as a student assistant, helping students who are in the program and in the process of learning English look at their futures.
I also help them with applications and provide mentorship once they’re out of the IEP. Through that, I’ve been able to meet so many incredible people from so many different countries. As far as international students go, Georgia State has people from all over the place, and so I’m kind of getting to learn some languages, myself.
As a public policy major, I get to learn about the issues that are impacting students in their home countries. Specifically, I get to work with a few young women from Afghanistan who are here as humanitarian parolees because of the situation in their country.
Being able to sit with them, have tea, be invited into their culture and their daily norms and hear about what their lives are like made me want to get more involved in advocacy, specifically for Afghan women. I get to do those types of things every day through my position.
How has Georgia State shaped you and positioned you for your professional pursuits?
Georgia State has introduced me to a lot of new options. Atlanta is home to a ton of amazing nonprofit and public-sector organizations that do incredible things, specifically for immigrant communities. It’s kind of a stopping point for a lot of people when they first get to the United States. And so, even just within our city, there are so many people from so many different places.
I really look forward to the opportunity to take what I’ve learned from the people here at Georgia State and apply that to my future jobs, whether it’s in immigration policy reform, which is much needed in our country, or at a local legal organization.
Through everyone I’ve met here and the cultural experiences that I’ve had, I feel as if I’m leaning a lot toward foreign policy pursuits. I’m figuring out the ways that I can work in the public sector here in the U.S. while still making a difference globally.
