I first met Grecia at Girls State; she was my city counselor and was always put together, smiling and supportive. A little over a year later, Grecia Ruboca is still full of light. She strives to be cheerful and usually succeeds from what I’ve experienced. When asked what her favorite color was, she quickly answered, “Mint! I always answer mint,” because the bright, cheerful color just makes sense to her. Not only is she one of the sweetest people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting, she’s also one of the most determined.
A first generation college student, Grecia will be graduating a year early this spring. After that, she’ll spend another year finishing up her master’s in accounting here at the University of Kansas. While working at a not-for-profit coffee shop, she realized this was something she could see herself doing in the future. She began majoring in general business. After taking an accounting class, she stated that something “just clicked,” and she’s been studying accounting ever since. This last summer she interned at Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City. Next summer, she’s looking forward to interning at CBIZ. Her ultimate goal is to work for (or create her own) not-for-profit. With accounting, she feels that there is a greater purpose to her actions: the health of the business.
As one of KU’s 2015-2016 Women of Distinction, Grecia stands tall as a role model for girls and first generation college students on campus. She loves seeing groups supporting the LGBTQ+ community and the increasing attention to mental health issues. However, her greatest passion on campus is being part of the Multicultural Scholars Program. Being involved since her freshman year, Grecia is the program’s student assistant, and is part of a smaller unit of the program, the Multicultural Business Scholars Program.
Grecia has extremely personal reasons for being involved in these programs, which support minority students who are statistically more unlikely to finish college. Her mother, born and raised in Mexico, loved learning and going to school. Unfortunately, her education ended in middle school when she had to start providing for her 11 younger siblings. Later, she immigrated to America, where Grecia was be born. Knowing her mother had such amazing opportunities, Grecia works hard everyday to make her mom proud. Taking these experiences as a minority and first generation college student, Grecia understands the importance of programs that combat difficulties that other students in her position face. Grecia herself states that she feels like she wouldn’t be where she is today without it.
Her greatest strength is her determination to be as kind and loving as she can be. Having received this same treatment from those around her, she works always with good intentions and a kind heart. Her greatest weakness is her all too human inclination to get caught up in herself. She tells herself that she’s not at KU to only improve the future for herself. “You have to bring yourself back,” she reflected. “Social people are supposed to be with others.”
For freshmen, her greatest advice is not to waste time on something you’re not passionate about. “If your heart is not into it,” she said, “then you need to find where it’s at.” And for those like her, who are expected to fail: “You’re not alone,” she stated firmly. “You’re going to have to work hard, that will always be true.” She said that resources are out there for people who are willing and determined to find them.
I asked her how to change the world, and she laughed. She says that until recently she hadn’t known. But now she has realized that it’s personal, one-on-one relationships that you must start with. “It’s the little things,” she said with a soft smile. “Little actions can change a life.” She loves being at KU, a place where there are no boundaries and everyone is open to what you believe in and nobody will tell you you’re wrong. “KU makes you firm in yourself,” she said when I asked about being herself. Her past peers have stated that she is never afraid to be herself. She said this proudly and went on to say that it embodied who she was.
“It’s extremely freeing, being fully yourself in every situation, without fear.” She looked at me as she said this, and I could see her excitement at being able to share such an insight.
And I believed her. It was one of those personal relationships that are the start of changing the world. As a freshman near the end of her second week of school, I couldn’t help but feel reassured that I could be myself. Like Grecia, I had felt this about KU before. But with every person I have met, this feeling has been reiterated. KU is where you can learn, and grow and find yourself without fear. And Grecia Ruboca is the embodiment of that. She left smiling cheerfully and wishing me a great day.