The launch event of The Heart’s Desire and Social Change series welcomed Rev. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., the Vice President, Associate Provost, and an Associate Professor of Theology and Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He was joined by Sara Martinez Tucker, a Notre Dame Trustee and Fellow, as well as a former Undersecretary of Education, proponent of various nonprofit organizations and corporate employee. This series was created to provide a forum for meaningful conversations about things that matter, to provide participants with the opportunity to explore interesting questions and form deeper connections with God and their truest selves. The initial event explored the life of Sara Martinez Tucker, the values that have grounded her charity work and career, the foundational experiences that have contributed to her identity throughout her life journey, and the lessons that she has learned through the exploration of her heart’s desire.
To begin the event, Rev. Groody posed a question to Martinez Tucker about her foundational experiences, the experiences that led to the creation of the values she has ascribed to throughout her life. She identified three main values that were instilled in her and her siblings from a young age: education, self-reliance and hard work. She grew up in Laredo, Texas, a town with many living below the poverty line. Though her family also fell into this low-income demographic, her parents made sacrifices for her and her siblings to be provided with the opportunities to rise above their socioeconomic status. In her younger years, she worked often at the grocery store her parents owned and operated, instilling these values deeper into her identity and learning the value of hard work. She emphasized that the lessons she learned about showing initiative, doing your best, and working to overcome obstacles have served her throughout her personal and professional life.
The turning point for Martinez Tucker’s life was when she reached her 40’s. At this point in her life, she realized that her Hispanic culture was very important to her, as was economic development, the glass ceiling, and higher education. She realized that the work she was doing in corporate America was work that could be done by many others, but that the work she wanted to do was where her true passions lied. Though she had been very successful in her career, something was missing. After having this realization, she took a leap of faith and dedicated herself to helping others become more self-reliant through access to education and an opportunity to chase their dreams. She wanted to provide children that grew up in situations similar to herself to have the chance to pursue education that would allow them to be successful in the careers they were passionate about. She wanted to give minorities a voice in the policy room and work for change that allowed them to overcome their situations. Martinez Tucker was very successful in this line of work, serving multiple nonprofits and government agencies throughout her career. Yet, she remained humble throughout the conversation, giving the glory back to God and expressing emotion in light of the gratitude she feels for being able to pursue the work that she has.
The speakers then moved to address questions from participants. Martinez Tucker answered questions related to engagement of students with little motivation to take advantage of opportunities, how she approaches issues of diversity given her identity as a Hispanic woman, and advice for staying grounded in the courage to be more than a career. She also addressed failures that she has faced in her life and how they have taught her to see every experience as a learning opportunity. Though she worked in many jobs throughout her career, she saw each as an opportunity to explore something new. The session concluded with an introduction to the podcast which will be released in conjunction with the live events, and gratitude from both speakers to each other as well as participants.
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