Abigail Mendez: Redefining Herself Through Growth

By: Monica Ramos Flores

Edited By Ariana Arias

Word Count: 900 

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Walking the stage in the next couple of weeks is Abigail Mendez, a first-generation student at Towson University majoring in sociology, anthropology and criminal justice with a minor in deaf studies. Let’s take a peek into her journey here at Towson University.

Mendez came to Towson after her first choice being FIU (Florida International University). The question was not whether or not she got in, because she did. It was who gave her the most amount of financial assistance in her parents’ minds. That factor is what decided on Towson University for her.

Her freshman year consisted of a bad rooming experience, changing residence and hanging around the wrong crowd. Once she realized the path she was going down, she was reminded of why she even came to college: education.

“Once I saw the effects of not prioritizing classes, grades and what it did to my mental health and overall wellbeing, I was forced to lock in, put myself first and recenter,” Mendez recalled.

This led to her branching out in her community and becoming a part of the Pasión Latin Dance Team, the Criminal Justice Student Association and La Voz Latina. Being a part of these allowed her to find a balance between her personal and academic life.

If there was anything she could take away from her freshman year, it was growth and development. The advice she would give her freshman self would be to socialize and to not hold back on joining clubs and organizations.

The classes in the programs she is majoring and minoring in have significantly impacted her ideas for her future.

“Learning about things such as juvenile delinquency, the history of drugs in our country, crime theory, policing, hands-on experience in my forensic classes, and even learning about Deaf culture and becoming ASL fluent has allowed me to understand the universal opportunities that my major and minor have for me in the outside world,” Mendez said.

So what are Mendez’s plans for the future? Well, she intends on joining the Montgomery County Police Academy. In fact, she is already 75% there and hopes to join in late July, allowing her to graduate in December.

Then, her plans consist of serving as a patrol officer and eventually an SVU (Special Victims Unit) detective. In addition, she has hopes of starting a nonprofit organization for those in the Latino and Deaf communities.

But before all of that comes, of course, graduating.

When asked what graduating means to her, Mendez talked about how the accomplishment is so much more meaningful than just walking. Graduating is accomplishing the dreams that her parents could not. It is triumphing against personal, academic and even spiritual burdens.

Graduating is proving to herself that dedication, resilience and growth can and will take her into adulthood well-equipped and into the world outside of Towson University.

Mendez gives thanks to God, as her faith is a significant part of her life and who she is.

She went on to talk about her identity and what graduating means to her as a first-generation Latina.

“Graduating means representing my community and becoming a pillar for my younger siblings to follow and achieve more than what I’ve accomplished.”

As Abigail Mendez leaves Towson University, she has one piece of advice for incoming freshmen:

“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, talk to new people, and challenge yourself with classes you find interest in! This is how you create connections with other students, professor references, better understand what it truly is that you want to do with your degree and know if you are in the right direction!”

(P.S. Abigail Mendez is La Voz Latina’s very own Spanish editor for the spring 2026 semester. She will be dearly missed.)