Ana Garcia Medina’s first few months in the U.S. were some of the hardest of her life.

“I was surrounded by a language I barely understood, classmates who made me feel invisible and a culture I did not belong to,” she said. “I missed my loved ones deeply and felt lost in a world that did not seem to have space for me.”

Garcia Medina was born in Venezuela and grew up in different cities across the country due to its unstable situation. While she was happy, life was anxious, and she worked tirelessly in school to earn the grades that would get her into dental school.

I realized that wherever I am in this world, there is space for someone like me.

Ana Garcia Medina

But her father decided to flee the country due to their political beliefs, and they moved to Illinois, a place that wasn’t part of her plan.

“On the plane to Illinois, my new home, I felt as if I was leaving behind not only my family but also my dreams,” she said. “After going through the hard process of realizing my goals were not going to be accomplished, I found that failure does not always have to be bad.”

Garcia Medina turned to College of DuPage and found herself getting involved on campus and in her community. Her work as the marketing officer for the Honors Student Advisory Committee, where she designed flyers, connected with other clubs and maximized outreach, continued a growing passion for marketing. She also presented her research during the HCIR (Honors Council of the Illinois Region) Research Symposium and the COD Library Student Research Symposium.

In addition, she was a member of the women’s track and field team that won the national championship in 2025, running the 400 meters and participating in the high jump.

In her community, Garcia Medina supports Hispanic first-generation students through peer tutoring, helping them complete financial aid applications and coaching them on accomplishing their education goals.

In earning her Associate in Arts degree, Garcia Medina was named one of the College’s outstanding graduate finalists. She also was an Honors Scholar and received a full-tuition Honors Program Transfer Scholarship to North Central College. Her goal is to major in marketing while returning to COD to earn a certificate in graphic design and then specialize in digital media.

Even though she initially wanted to major in pre-dentistry, Garcia Medina found her way at COD.

“When I arrived in the U.S. as an asylum seeker, I carried my childhood dream of becoming an orthodontist that would help others gain their confidence back, as I struggled with low self-esteem during many years of my life,” she said. “But the pressure, the uncertainty and fear surrounding my immigration status started to slowly consume me. When I started at COD, I lost weight, could not sleep and felt that I preferred not waking up ever again than to give up on my dream.

“COD became the place where I learned that re-direction is not failure, it is growth. Through new classes, researching career paths, advice from COD faculty members and the freedom to explore different clubs, I found I was beyond a single career path. I found confidence in marketing and communication, areas that allow me to express creativity. Then I started to get involved in different activities and found friends who demonstrated that I belong. I realized that wherever I am in this world, there is space for someone like me.”

Learn more about the Marketing program at College of DuPage.