Alicia Acquistapace

Contributor

Lupita Sanchez is an Arkansas native born in Rogers, Arkansas; she was raised in Bentonville, Arkansas, her entire life. Lupita attended Bentonville High School and said that she never wished she had gone anywhere else for high school, “they had an excellent athletic program and good teachers,” which made school social life enjoyable. The school had many programs that made it easy for students to get involved. When asked if she wants to continue living in Bentonville, she said, “I would like to stay in the Bentonville area for at least two years after I graduate college to secure a job and get on my feet. After I secure a job, I would like to live somewhere else for the rest of my twenties and early thirties, but later, I would like to move back to NWA to raise my kids”.

Lupita spent her first two years of schooling at Northwest Arkansas Community College to start her education at a cheaper rate. She is now a junior at the University of Arkansas, majoring in business marketing. Lupita says, “I never knew exactly what I wanted to focus on, but I always knew that business was something that would have continuous job opportunities.” In high school, Lupita was a member of DECA, which she described as a “business club,” and she said that DECA had a “large influence” on her choice of major. A long-time friend of Lupita, Lauren Easley, stated that she thinks Lupita’s choice of major “fits her well…she enjoys those classes, which is great.”

Lupita’s dream job involves “social media or a digital job.” She states she “would like to work as a company’s social media marketing manager or anything dealing with advertisements.”

Lupita is passionate about makeup and fashion and wants to work in those markets. She stated that in one of her classes, they are learning about consumer behavior, which heavily interests her because she has “always been interested in human psychology, and I like how it incorporates marketing to influence consumers’ purchase decisions.”

Outside of school, she likes to hang out with “friends, family, and pets,” which has rung faithful to her for her entire life thus far. More recently, Lupita has gotten into working out, “which I consider a new hobby,” and going on hikes and traveling have started to become new hobbies of hers as well. As she grows, she feels more independent and notices changes in what she likes to do in her free time. Lupita would describe herself as “extroverted but introverted at times, always on the go and a people pleaser.” Others may describe her as “outgoing, always smiling, distracted, funny, and crazy.”

 When asked about her home life, she said her parents significantly influence her life, and they are the “biggest factor of my motivation.” Being a first-generation college student has always put pressure on her academically and overall to better her life “to be able to provide for my parents one day like they always have done for me…they have sacrificed a lot to be where we are now, and I feel like I owe it to them.”

When thinking about the future she wants for herself and the goals Lupita has, she states that a goal she is working hard at is staying consistent with herself, “not letting anything impact the goals I have or ever put my life on pause for others.” Lupita believes she is good at talking to people and being very social; she feels like she can “have a conversation with anyone about just anything. Her friend Lauren stated that Lupita can converse with anyone, “she knows how to have fun and engaging conversations with people but also professional conversations when needed.” When asked if she wishes she was better at something she said “I wish I were better at being creative and artistic. I’ve never been able to draw or paint anything cool.” If Lupita was in a room with her 12-year-old self and she got to talk to her, she would tell her that “so much is going to change in life, good and bad, and I know every inconvenience seems like the end of the world, but you always end up exactly where you need to be. Never try to rush anything; everything has its time”. Lupita feels that she still has to remind herself of this when she experiences hard times. However, she moves forward and is continuously motivated by her family to strive for a better life.