English student Victoria Martinez has been named a Humanities in Action scholar by We CU and the Humanities Research Institute, who recently announced the 2024–2025 cohort.

The Humanities in Action program aims to remove some of the financial barriers that prevent undergraduate humanities students from taking advantage of community engagement opportunities. Selected through a competitive application process, Humanities in Action scholars are matched with a community partner through the School of Social Work's Community Learning Lab in order to address a vital area of need in the Champaign-Urbana community. The students will also attend workshops to strengthen their community partnerships and build connections with like-minded peers, and will learn more about HRI’s opportunities and the broader community of humanists at Illinois.

Martinez is majoring in English and political science with a concentration in international relations. She is a founding member and membership coordinator of the Illinois Global Review Journal, an RSO dedicated to reporting on global issues through op-eds. She is also an Illini Tower resident advisor and an active member of the English Student Association and the Women's Undergraduate Law Society. As a first-generation college/law school student, she hopes to help people of a similar background. Victoria is passionate about giving back to the community and helping other Hispanic students pursue higher education. She is studying international relations because she wants to embrace other cultures and support those who are underrepresented on a global scale.

Editor's note: A version of this story was originally published by the Humanities Research Institute.