MC Alumna Jury Medrano Jimenez ’24 Paves the Way for Latinos in Higher Education

MC Alumna Jury Medrano Jimenez refuses to be defined by her failures. Enrolling at Montgomery College as a first-generation college student in 2021, she failed all of her online classes her first semester due to the pandemic, and then got placed on academic probation while struggling with her mental health. 

Three years later, Medrano Jimenez graduated from MC with an associate’s degree in business, earning her spot on the dean’s list for two semesters. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in technology entrepreneurship and corporate innovation at the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business. And most recently, she sat on a panelnew window with two other students alongside former Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to discuss the importance of accessible higher education. 

Medrano Jimenez’s story is one of persistence and determination. She was born in the U.S. and attended Montgomery Blair High School before transferring to Montgomery College. The COVID-19 pandemic was underway by then, and so her first semester of college was entirely online via the “new normal” Zoom courses. For her, learning remotely was difficult at best, especially as a first-generation college student navigating higher education for the first time. And without her friends—the majority of them had gone directly to the workforce after high school—she struggled to stay focused in the new and unfamiliar territory. 

After being placed on academic probation, Medrano Jimenez enrolled in Mi Gentenew window, a course recommended for new business majors and Latino/a or Hispanic students, which ended up changing her life trajectory. In particular, Professor Karen Penn de Martinez, who leads the Mi Gente program, played a crucial role in improving Medrano Jimenez’s experience at MC. 

“I got close with Professor Penn because she knew what I was going through. Any opportunities that she would give to students, such as helping to build our resumes, I would take advantage of because I wanted to be successful,” Medrano Jimenez says.

Medrano Jimenez excelled in the Mi Gente course and went on to receive straight-A’s the following semester. Furthermore, her success then spurred her on to getting more involved at MC and in the community.

“She’s an inspiration to me. She surprised herself and grew into something that was so impressive,” Professor Penn de Martinez says. “In one of the first conversations I had with her, she told me that her first semester had not gone well. By the time she left MC, she strived to be a straight-A student. She raised her sights to want to be a star student.”

While at MC, Medrano Jimenez held a job at the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program, where she supported at-risk high school students with the completion of a bachelor’s degree. 

She worked as a program specialist in conservation education at the U.S. Forest Service, assisting with digital content creation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

She interned with the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., analyzing special projects and performing data entry for senior personnel to share with members of Congress, high-level executives of private sector organizations, and other stakeholders.

She also served as an ambassador with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), where she learned more about resources to support Latinos and low-income students pursuing higher education. 

Medrano Jimenez now thrives as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland. In terms of future goals, she hopes to either work as a professor at a college or university, work at a nonprofit that promotes Latino success in the professional and academic world, or become an entrepreneur to help students from underserved communities achieve their academic and professional goals.

“At the end of the day, I want to do what I’m passionate about. Helping students succeed academically and professionally is what brings me the most happiness.”

Medrano Jimenez’s success comes at a time when Montgomery College is making historic investments in its Hispanic student population. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Education designated MC as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which means that at least 25% of the College's full-time students identify as Hispanic. This has allowed the College to gain eligibility to apply for specific federal grant opportunities to implement, expand, and enhance programs supporting Hispanic student success outcomes. 

Furthermore, MC created an HSI Task Force (PDF, ) in 2022 to investigate and research Latine access, completion, and post-completion success; grant and funding opportunities; and community perspectives. Recommendations from the task force call for measurable data to put in place evidence-based strategies, recruitment of Latino faculty, administration, and staff, and a strong leadership structure to follow up and assure coordination and accountability.

Hispanic students have now represented the single largest student block (PDF, ) at the College for three consecutive years. As of fall 2024, they comprise 29.9% of student enrollment. Despite proposed policy changes at the federal level in 2025 that could affect HSI’s operations throughout the U.S., Montgomery College remains committed to its impact and mission, as demonstrated by individuals such as Medrano Jimenez. 

“When I look back at MC, I want to hug everyone who has helped me along the way. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them,” Medrano Jimenez says. “Although MC has increased the amount of Latinos who are enrolled full time, that percentage is much lower at the University of Maryland. I will continue to advocate to have my community represented in higher education.”