paying it forward

Uriah Martin-Velez was born and raised in Chicago, and attended Chicago Hope Academy High School. In high school he was the captain of the wrestling team, and now, in college he’s in the Jiu-Jitsu club. Currently, Uriah is a sophomore attending the University of Chicago, where he is a double major in economics and data science. 

Uriah chose to study as a double major because he loves numbers and the stability of the career path. “I like the interpretation and multiplication of data. So that double major was the best way to concentrate on that. Career-wise, every industry needs data scientists, it isn't only a finance or computer science thing. I picked up the economics major to focus on finance but data science is a stable career and position in general. Also,  I enjoy it and it’s something I’m decent at,” said Martin-Velez. 

When deciding to go to college, Uriah mentioned how his mom's work ethic inspired him to pursue higher education. “My mom is the one who inspired me to pursue higher education. She went into the medical field and got her degree in biology and she did higher education as well. I’m not pursuing biology but I am inspired by her track to go and do that. So her mom never went to college, so I’m following in my mother's footsteps in that sense.,” said Martin-Velez. 

As he is navigating through college, Uriah mentions that his parents and his community have always pushed him to be the best he can be. One support system he mentions is the welcoming community he feels with Pursue Scholars. “I feel like I can be open and talk to everybody there. I can relate to a lot of people at Pursue Scholars. There are a lot of people from diverse backgrounds but I feel like I have something in common with everybody. Everybody is welcoming and open, so it’s a great environment in that sense,” said Martin-Velez.

Another support system that has impacted Uriah is his mentor and former wrestling coach, Dan Willis. “He was a phenomenal wrestling coach, a great teacher, and a strong man of God. One thing I appreciate that he did was that he melded the two perfectly. He would have us pray before and after our wrestling practices, he would always give glory to God whenever we won a tournament or did well in a particular bracket. So even though he was an amazing wrestling coach and a good person, he was a very strong man of God. And he can very well meld the two together. We tend to compartmentalize our lives and have our careers separate from our family, faith, and finances, etc. But one thing I saw in him is that he was able to have everything bleed into everything else,” said Martin-Velez.

While Uriah is supported through college, he is still trying to figure out his career path after college. However, he knows that once he creates a family, he wants to be able to provide for himself and his family, and the community/organizations that poured into him. “I think regardless of what career I go into, I do want to make a lot of money to be able to provide for myself and my family. Also, I want to be able to give back to the community that’s given so much to me including my family, my church, multiple organizations I have been a part of that have helped propel me in my education and career, and also soft skills or even religious organizations. But I want to make good money, provide value to my community, I want to give back to those who gave a lot to me,” said Martin-Velez. 

When thinking about the legacy he would like to leave, Uriah mentioned being seen as a leader for youth. “I want to be a person that other people can rely on, that's my peers or people younger than me. I want to be a constant whether that’s financial, wisdom, or counsel. I want to be able to help people in every aspect whether that’s money, leadership, or counsel,” said Martin-Velez. 

Stories like Uriah's are the reason we are grateful for partners like you. Your gift to Pursue Scholars today will be actively investing in young Chicago leaders and helping them embark on a journey that will truly lead to change.