Growing up in Fontana, California, Maritza Sanchez developed a love of math and science early on. A native Spanish speaker, she found that numbers made sense in every language. With the support of her parents, friends, and a her high school teachers, she found herself on the path to college. Sanchez shares how she not only switched majors but transferred schools, how she found her academic path, and what it means to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science. (#38266)