“I have always been a big fan of school, for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I truly believe that school is both a challenge and a form of preparation that helps you grow into a disciplined human being.”

Martinez earned a double bachelor’s degree in business administration and communications with an emphasis in journalism from the University of the Cumberlands in 2024. For the Little Rock resident, education reflects the discipline, effort, and accountability required for success.

“A degree represents the hard work you’ve invested in gaining knowledge and holding yourself accountable,” she said. “That said, earning my master’s degree has always been a dream of mine.”

During her time in graduate school at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, Martinez has balanced multiple responsibilities. She is a full-time student and part-time graduate assistant. She also worked for the Arkansas Business Publishing Group during the summer and fall semesters.

“I’ve been lucky enough to earn my master’s while having two jobs that not only helped pay for my education but also allowed me to meet extraordinary people,” she said.

Throughout a demanding schedule, Martinez said the support of others helped her stay grounded.

“I’ve had incredible bosses, professors, family, and friends who made this juggle easier than I expected,” she said. “Easy? No, it wasn’t, but nothing in life that is worth it is easy. Everything comes with challenges and struggles, but that is the beauty of life.”

One of her most meaningful experiences was coaching the university’s — a role she initially stepped into without knowing how much it would shape her.

Before coming to Little Rock, Martinez had swum for four years as an undergrad on a scholarship.

“I wanted to explore coaching because my dad was my swim coach for 20 years, and I wanted to do the same thing he did for me – for other people,” she said.

What began as exploration soon became one of the most rewarding parts of her graduate experience.

“Over the past two years, I have experienced firsthand how impactful it can be to coach someone into becoming the best version of themselves,” she said. “The fact that the 30-plus women I met along the way allowed me to be part of their growth is something I will always be grateful for.”

Nathan Townsend, the team’s head coach, said Martinez worked as a graduate assistant and has been a cornerstone of the swimming program. She has shown a top work ethic, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.

“Emilia is someone I trust deeply, not only because of how hard she works, but because of the insight and perspective she brings to every situation,” he said. “During challenging moments, her steady presence and mindset helped guide our team forward and played a meaningful role in our success.”

Martinez credits her parents, sister, and boyfriend with encouraging her to believe in herself and pursue her dreams while far from home. After graduation, she plans to work in FedEx’s sales enablement department, focusing on project management and communications content. 

During her college experience, Martinez gained insights she wants to share with other students.

“Don’t let fear stop you from doing the thing that scares you the most,” she said. “That is how I approached these last two years while pursuing my master’s. I stepped out of my shell to build real connections with my professors and allowed them to challenge me through different classes and assignments.”

The post First in Her Family, Emilia Martinez Turns a Dream Into a Master’s Degree appeared first on News.

The award, announced at the OVC Basketball Championship tournament, recognizes outstanding faculty across conference institutions for their student impact, contributions to department and university curricula, professional development, community involvement and institutional service.

“My first reaction was genuine surprise, followed quickly by gratitude,” Rockwell said. “Like most faculty, I’m often focused on the next class session, the next student meeting, or the next report, and don’t stop to think about awards. My thoughts quickly turned to my students, many of whom are balancing demanding jobs or Division I athletics with rigorous academic programs. Their perseverance embodies what this award represents.”

Rockwell credits ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, especially the School of Business, with shaping her approach to teaching. Working at a university rooted in access, opportunity, and real-world relevance has reinforced her focus on ensuring each course, assignment, and experience helps prepare students for long-term success. The school’s “Know Your Worth” motto — the idea that every student’s education should yield a measurable return in their career and life — serves as a constant reminder that what happens in the classroom must pay dividends well beyond it.

That mindset is especially evident in how Rockwell works with student-athletes, whom she recognizes as effectively managing two full-time commitments at once. She prioritizes flexibility and proactive communication, meeting with student-athletes early in the semester to align assignment deadlines and exam dates with their travel and competition schedules, all while holding them to the same academic standards as every other student.

“Student-athletes are not only competitors — they are emerging professionals,” Rockwell said, “and I want them to leave here understanding that their education is an investment in themselves.”

For Rockwell, that belief in student potential is inseparable from what she teaches and how she teaches it. She was drawn to law, management, marketing, and technology because of where those disciplines intersect — strategy, people, and innovation — where decisions carry immediate consequences and advantages for organizations and communities. 

“Business law allows me to show students how legal rules shape everything from contracts and branding to real estate development and technology adoption,” Rockwell said. “We can move seamlessly from doctrine to real-world examples — analyzing influencer agreements, walking neighborhoods when we study eminent domain, or unpacking the fine print of a contract a student may someday sign.”

That carries particular weight for college athletes working to reach the next level. For a student-athlete hoping to sign a professional contract, understanding the legal language is not just an academic exercise, it is preparation for one of the most important moments of their career.

For Rockwell, the award represents something larger than her own work. It affirms her efforts at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock and the School of Business and connects her to a broader community of faculty across the OVC committed to the same mission. The students she teaches go on to work, lead and build in Little Rock and across Arkansas, and she sees the classroom as the starting point for that impact.

“What keeps me motivated is seeing students transform over time — from tentative first-year or MBA students into confident professionals, graduate students, and, in some cases, future lawyers and community leaders,” Rockwell said. “It’s especially rewarding to watch student-athletes and working students discover that their education is not just a requirement but an investment in themselves and in the communities they will serve.”

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Stewart graduated from ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock in May 2013 with a degree in marketing and a minor in psychology.

While at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, one of her marketing projects required students to create a business concept and pitch it to mock investors. It was one of her final projects before graduation. Stewart and her partner developed a mock sports bar concept centered around wings and beer — an experience that helped shape the way she approaches business today.

“In hindsight, there were many things that helped me, like having knowledge of the basic fundamentals of finance, marketing, and even pitching ideas,” Stewart said. “However, one thing entrepreneurship will teach you is that you should always be a student.”

That mindset would soon prove essential as Stewart navigated an unexpected turning point in her career.

“Owning a business was actually a pivot from losing one of our primary incomes at the beginning of COVID,” she said. “We originally started as a meal prep company and then switched to pizza and wings after evaluating our business goals.”

Since then, Certified Pies has grown into a community favorite with nearly 100,000 followers across its Facebook and TikTok pages.

“Building this business through the pandemic shaped how we communicated with the community,” Stewart said. “With everything around us shut down and our customer base operating remotely, we had to use social media to reach them. Truly, Certified Pies became its own personality through Facebook, and people enjoyed being able to interact with a local business.”

Along with its growing social media presence, Certified Pies has also received national recognition. Southern Living recently named the restaurant one of the top 20 places for chicken wings in the South.

“We have been blessed to be featured in local magazines, but a national magazine is something major,” Stewart said. “It’s truly an honor to put Little Rock, Arkansas, on the map with our wings and to highlight another local business, Truth Sauce.”

Looking back on her time at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, Stewart says one lesson stands out: the importance of time management.

During her time as a student, she balanced a full course load while working a 40-hour-per-week call center job.

“Managing class schedules, professor expectations, along with the stress of a customer service job took a lot of juggling,” she said.

For Stewart, success as a business owner has taken on a new meaning.

“Success is very different as a business owner,” she said. “I used to be focused on working a full-time job and taking care of my family. Now it comes with great responsibility — providing job opportunities, feeding the community, and creating a space for families to gather. I appreciate the small wins just as much as the big ones.”

Her advice for current ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock students interested in starting their own business is simple:

“Jumping into entrepreneurship is like riding the longest roller coaster,” she said. “Where you are right now is not where you will end. You will pivot many times along the way, but the journey is still worth it. Appreciate it.”

The post ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock Alumna Turns Class Project Roots into Food Scene Success appeared first on News.

This ranking evaluates programs based on affordability, accessibility and academic quality. This recognition highlights the university’s efforts to provide a comprehensive and accessible education for students across Arkansas and beyond. 

ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock offers both in-person and fully online, providing options for both traditional students, working professionals and all those in between. The program emphasizes practical business skills such as strategic planning, organizational behavior and people management, preparing students for leadership roles across a range of industries.  

“This ranking highlights the strength of our commitment to innovative, career-focused education,” said Yue Zhao, chair and associate professor of management, marketing, and technology in the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock School of Business. “Our online management program combines academic rigor with practical application, preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing, technology-driven business environment. We are proud to provide flexible pathways that support both professional advancement and social mobility.”

This national recognition shows the university’s commitment to delivering value, promoting academic excellence and relevant education to all. The management program provides students with a broad perspective on management in today’s evolving business environment, shaping them into problem-solvers and decision-makers. As the program and university continue to innovate and expand opportunities, they solidify their reputation as a destination for high-quality, accessible education.

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When she first stepped onto campus, the Quitman, Texas, native never imagined she would become a visible campus leader, a Homecoming Royal, a graduating business administration major, and a student-athlete balancing competition with entrepreneurship. Looking back, she sees her time at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock as a period of steady growth, particularly in confidence and critical thinking.

Through her experiences as a business major, pole vaulter, and campus leader involved in multiple student organizations, Marcee says her growth was intentional. She sought each role to push herself beyond her comfort zone and to help discover the strengths she didn’t know she had.

That drive continued in the classroom. Studying business administration gave Marcee more than professional skills — it forced her to think about how she leads, plans, and responds when things don’t go as expected. While she values structure, she learned that setbacks often create space for new opportunities and strategic thinking. Over time, she says, her coursework shaped her into a goal-oriented thinker who values relationships as much as results.

Marcee learned that leadership isn’t just about outcomes — it’s about trust.

Her perspective became even clearer when she was selected as ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock’s 2025 Homecoming Royal. That role placed her in the spotlight and challenged her to represent not only herself but also the organizations and campus communities of which she is a part. The experience pushed her to engage more deeply across campus and helped her understand the ripple effect one student can have.

Corrigan Revels, assistant director for Student Leadership and Development in the Division of Student Affairs at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, has seen that growth firsthand. He said Marcee has served as a Chancellor’s Leadership Corps peer mentor for three years and as a Student Activities Board leader for two, bringing openness, discipline, and energy to every role she takes on.

“Brooklyn brings an open mind and strong commitment to everything she does,” Revels said. “Her discipline and positive energy make her a joy to work with. I encourage our student leaders to bring good energy while also knowing when to ask for support, and Brooklyn has found that balance. I’m proud of her accomplishments and excited to see what’s next for her.”

While she believes meaningful change doesn’t happen alone, Marcee says one person’s actions can influence others — and those connections ultimately shape a campus community.

Athletics played a key role in shaping that mindset. As a pole vaulter, Marcee competes in a sport that demands precision, trust, and resilience. Through years of training and competition, she learned how to stay composed under pressure, grow from failure, and trust the process — lessons that extended far beyond the track.

Those skills carried into her academic work, leadership roles, and entrepreneurial pursuits. The discipline and determination she developed as an athlete, she says, gave her the tools to persevere through challenges and keep moving forward.

As May graduation approaches, Marcee is focused on what comes next and on continuing to grow. She plans to pursue her business full time as a makeup artist specializing in bridal work, building a career centered on confidence, connection, and empowerment.

One of the most valuable lessons she’s taking with her from ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock is the importance of confidence in personal and professional success. Through her work, she hopes to help others feel empowered on one of the most important days of their lives.

For Marcee, the journey through ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock wasn’t just about earning a degree. It was about becoming someone who leads with intention, embraces challenge, and understands the impact of showing up with confidence.

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The prize is $50,000 in services from PREDICTif Solutions, funded by Amazon Web Services.

Hosted by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, along with ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock’s School of Business, Tech Launch and Workforce Development Center, this contest is for Arkansas entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for transforming business operations and accelerating growth with AI.

The competition is open to Arkansans who are in business or have a business idea, across all industries. The business does not need to be an AI company or technology startup.

“We are seeking current and future Arkansas entrepreneurs who envision practical, creative, high-impact ways to put AI to work in a business setting,” said ASBTDC State Director Laura Fine.

An idea might solve an operational challenge, increase revenue, expand market reach or create scalable efficiencies.

Entrepreneurs must apply for a spot in the competition. Selected participants will pitch their AI concept in front of judges and have the opportunity to win up to $50,000 worth of professional services from PREDICTif to support development of the winning idea.

This prize is not cash and not AWS credits. Instead, it is AWS Partner-funded support delivered through technical resources, architecture guidance, and solution development services. All competitors will receive expert feedback on how to bring their concepts to life.

The Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition will take place Thursday, April 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business and Economic Development on the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock campus. The event is open to the public and free of charge.

“The community is invited to join us for a fun and inspiring time. Come enjoy the pitches, support Arkansas innovators and expand your AI knowledge,” said Fine.

Visit to get more details, sign up to pitch or register to attend.

In the first four months of 2026, AWS and PREDICTif will hold 34 pitch competitions with Small Business Development Center partners nationwide, with more expected. “We are thrilled to bring this opportunity to Arkansas through our SBDC connection,” Fine said.

For questions about the event, contact ASBTDC’s Laterika Tooks-Staton at 501-804-4530 or lstooks@ualr.edu.

ASBTDC offers no-cost services and resources for Arkansas entrepreneurs and small businesses. Learn more at .

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The rigors of training for international competition are only part of Miley’s journey. While preparing for the sports world’s biggest stage, he is also completing his business management degree online through ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock and plans to graduate in May. It’s a commitment he believes has strengthened him as an athlete by sharpening his time management skills and mental approach to competition.

The Olympics have always represented the pinnacle of the sport.

“From a young age competing in wrestling, I always looked at the Olympics as the prime-time show,” Miley said. “There are world championships every year, but nothing compares to the Olympics. College wrestling always felt like the next step for me, and I was fortunate to find a great home at Little Rock. They sharpened my skills and made me a more competitive athlete.”

Miley’s development continued on the international stage, where he captured two U23 Pan American titles. Those accomplishments confirmed his potential, but it was competing at the 2024 U23 World Championships that helped clarify his path forward.

“I may not have placed, but experiencing that level of competition showed me exactly where I stood,” he said. “It showed me how much I needed to change and challenge myself. Collegiate wrestling shaped the way I trained and competed — it definitely raised my level as an athlete.”

Beyond competition, wrestling has shaped Miley’s approach to life.

“It’s made me a better student, employee, son, partner — just a better person overall,” he said. “The discipline it takes to be a high-level wrestler is something you don’t get from another sport.”

Miley said the discipline he’s learned through wrestling has taught him a simple but lasting lesson.

“You get what you earn,” he said. “If you don’t put in the right effort at the right time, you won’t get the results you’re seeking.”

That mindset now guides Miley as he balances training, international travel, and academics. Time management, he said, has been his biggest challenge.

“Staying on top of classes while traveling out of the country for weeks at a time can be tough,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to complete my work ahead of time.”

Miley is completing a business management degree, a decision he views as essential to his future beyond competition.

“Finishing my degree is really important to me,” he said. “It’s not exactly part of my wrestling plan, but I have future goals in the wrestling world that will be much easier to pursue with a degree. That’s been a major motivation.”

Continuing his education through ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock allowed him to stay focused on both goals. Miley said the university’s fully online option made it possible to keep his credits intact while training at an elite level.

“The option to stay with the same school and complete everything online made ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock the right fit,” he said. “It kept me from having to deal with transferring credits and allowed me to focus on finishing my degree.”

He also credited faculty support for helping him stay on track academically.

“Most professors are extremely understanding and willing to work with students who have real-life situations going on,” he said. “The online setup is simple, and that makes a big difference when you’re balancing school with travel and training.”

Miley believes his education has strengthened him in competition as well.

“Being educated has helped me in every part of life,” he said. “Earning my degree has sharpened my time management skills, and I use that on the mat too. I think it gives me an edge, mentally as much as physically.”

While Miley now competes for the New York Athletic Club and represents the United States internationally, he remains closely connected to ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock. Rather than pointing to a single mentor, he credits the collective impact of the Trojans wrestling staff.

“The coaching staff at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock helped me through so many things on and off the mat,” he said. “They made me a better person overall. Every coach played a role in different areas of my life.”

As he continues training toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Miley carries those lessons with him — from the mat, the classroom, and his time as a Trojan.

“I’ll always credit ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock for the role it played in my development,” he said. “Those experiences helped shape who I am today.”

The post Former Trojan Wrestler Sets Sights on Olympic Glory appeared first on News.

“I feel excited and honestly not nervous,” Le said. “ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock has prepared me for life after college very well. I will miss the community here, but I am excited about the opportunities after graduation.”

Le chose ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock for the Donaghey Scholars Program, whose generous scholarships allowed her to complete two business degrees debt-free while staying close to her family. Along the way, she built a strong sense of belonging on campus through faculty and staff mentors who encouraged her growth, both personally and professionally.

Le said ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock helped her build a community of support. Through mentorship from faculty and staff, she learned that while it is important to excel academically, it is just as essential to build meaningful connections and relationships.

During her time at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, Le was a part of many different extracurricular activities using these to help shape her future and what she wanted to do. She was part of the School of Business ambassador, she was part of the student government association and also participated in the Finance and Economics association. These opportunities led her to working full-time at the university her junior and senior year, which better prepared her for future endeavors. 

Le’s extracurricular activities included Greek life, Student Government Association and School of Business Ambassador (SGA) group. These activities influenced her leadership style and communication with people as well making her a lot more social and confident in herself. She also was able to attend a couple of study abroad programs that helped her. 

The School of Business allowed her the opportunity to go to Argentina, which inspired her to achieve more because she learned how to interact with people of a different culture, and it also allowed her to see how the world operates. It inspired her to look beyond the classroom and workplace. 

Le’s favorite part about her career is building meaningful relationships with people. She will be working as the marketing and merchandising manager at a home decor and clothing boutique. 

“My advice for future students is to have fun,” Le said, “Take advantage of all the opportunities ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock has to offer. Counseling services, group fitness classes, intramural sports, and more. You never know who you will meet or what new things you will learn!” 

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Dr. Kent Kovacs, associate professor of economics and finance, is part of a multi-institutional team dedicated to analyzing how farmers’ risk preferences shape water use in agriculture within the Lower Mississippi River Basin. The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, explores the complex relationship between economics, the environment, and human decision-making. 

With a Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis, Kovacs is a natural resource and environmental economist, meaning he studies how the natural world is affected by economic activity. His current work focuses on water resource economics, an area centered on how water is withdrawn from the environment and used in economic systems.

“Natural resource economics asks how we make the best use of the earth’s resources to conduct our economic activity as effectively as possible,” Kovacs said.

Kovacs’ team is designing a survey that gathers farmer perspectives alongside hydrologic and economic models. After receiving approval from the Institutional Review Board, the researchers are preparing to begin data collection. The survey aims to assess farmers’ risk and time preferences.

“By understanding how risk-averse, risk-neutral, or risk-loving a producer is, we can better understand their choices in terms of water use,” Kovacs said. Although the project is still in its early stages, integrating farmers’ real-world experiences is central to the team’s approach.

The innovation of Kovacs’ research lies in its integration of scientific data and human knowledge. Farmers are positioned at the forefront of the project, and their feedback informs scientific models that project how scarce water resources may be stressed by extraction.

“Better information about overdraft or excessive use of groundwater can help hone policy measures that aid farmers in maintaining and increasing profit while still maintaining the natural resource,” Kovacs said.

Ultimately, the project aims to inform water policy and conservation programs in Arkansas. In the Delta, groundwater acts as a vital safeguard during severe drought, helping prevent catastrophic crop losses.

“Understanding how farmers perceive the risks around groundwater use will improve how crop insurance programs are created for farmers here in the Delta,” Kovacs said.

Kovacs’ team spans institutions and disciplines. The collaboration includes Dr. Kevin Befus, associate professor of geosciences, and Dr. Mike Daniels, professor and extension soil and water conservation scientist, both from the University of Arkansas, as well as John Pennington, a water quality educator with the Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service. The team will conduct three workshops to bring together farmers, stakeholders, policymakers, researchers, and state and federal officials. The dialogue will guide the project’s model building and survey design.

While many assume that improved irrigation technology or increased access to surface water will ease pressure on Arkansas’s aquifers, Kovacs said the reality is more complicated. Efforts to promote efficiency — often through subsidies or major water-diversion projects — do reduce groundwater pumping, but they can unintentionally increase total water use as well.

“A lot of our policies are designed to make it easier to adopt more efficient practices, and those goals are absolutely important,” he said. “But what we see in practice is that these incentives often encourage producers to keep growing very water-intensive crops. They continue to be very dependent on water, which puts more pressure on the environment overall.”

Kovacs sees potential in establishing a clear price for water as an effective incentive for conservation. Pricing water, either through direct fees or cap-and-trade systems, would encourage farmers to adopt efficient practices on their own and reduce overall water consumption — not just shift it between sources.

“When there’s a transparent price for water, producers naturally become more efficient,” Kovacs said. “It’s not always popular, and it may come with economic trade-offs, but it’s one of the most effective ways to protect our natural resources and reduce stress on our environment.”

Kovacs sees this project as an opportunity to strengthen how Arkansas protects its water resources. By connecting scientific research with the real-world challenges farmers face, the team hopes to guide policies that balance economic growth with responsible resource management to ensure a stronger, more sustainable future for Arkansas.

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Hernandez began her internship in July and will continue through December. She said the experience has given her valuable exposure to the lending industry and deepened her understanding of entrepreneurship and community development.

“Through this internship, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with several departments, including community development, lending, and marketing,” she said. “I’ve participated in a variety of projects that have given me insight into the full process of loan application and approval. It’s allowed me to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting and see how financial institutions serve underserved communities.”

Hernandez, who will graduate in May 2026, plans to pursue a career in investment banking while also exploring real estate investment. She said her time at ACC Capital has helped her refine critical skills that will support her career ambitions.

“This internship has given me a true glimpse into what my future could look like on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “Balancing school, work, and this internship has strengthened my time management skills. I’ve also learned to approach challenges more strategically and with a broader perspective. These experiences have given me a stronger sense of professionalism and purpose in pursuing a career in finance.”

One event that left a lasting impression on Hernandez was Credit to Capital, a financial literacy event hosted by ACC Capital.

“After the event, an older woman approached Adriana Fuentes, the vice president of community development, in tears thanking her for the opportunity,” Hernandez said. “She said the event gave her a renewed sense of hope and a better understanding of how to improve her credit and finances. It made me realize how many people still lack access to essential resources like financial literacy. It reinforced my desire to work in a field where I can help others gain the tools they need to succeed financially.”

For Hernandez, the internship has also offered lessons she couldn’t have learned in a classroom.

“While textbooks and lectures provide foundational knowledge, working in a real-world environment has shown me how to apply that knowledge in practical, meaningful ways,” she said. “I’ve experienced what it’s like to work a 9-to-5 schedule, attend diverse meetings, and contribute to projects that have a real impact. It’s taught me how to navigate a professional setting, communicate effectively with different departments, and think critically beyond the academic setting.”

Beyond her coursework and internship, Hernandez is also actively involved on campus. She is a founding member of the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock Colony of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc., where she serves as treasurer and academic chairwoman, and she recently joined the Finance Club to expand her knowledge and network within the industry.

Hernandez said her experiences at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock and ACC Capital have given her confidence in her ability to succeed after graduation.

“I feel like this internship brought everything I’ve learned in the classroom to life,” she said. “It has prepared me for my future career in ways that go beyond academics. It’s been a unique opportunity that I’ll carry with me as I take the next steps in finance.”

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