Age: 27.
Job title/occupation/place of employment: Market Research Analyst, University of Dubuque.
Volunteer activities: Dubuque Main Street, depending on events; Young Professionals of Dubuque, co-director of social media;, translator for those in need of it in Dubuque County; Dubuque Unidos, vice president; Dubuque Farmer’s Market Committee, member; LULAC Iowa State, director of publicity.
Education: Bachelor of business administration (2018) from University of Dubuque; Master of Arts in Communication (2020) from University of Dubuque; Master in Management — Communication Management (2020) from University of Dubuque.
Family: Mother, Francisca Resendiz Lara, union leader and economist in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Father, Tereso Martinez Onofre, real estate agent in San Luis Potosi; Sister, Siglinde Martinez Resendiz, senior analyst, data and consumer insight at Warner Bros., Paris, France.
Person most inspirational to me and why: My parents. My mom has taught me to be fearless, humble and fight for what is right, and my dad has taught me how to love deeply, be truthful and care for the people around me. Thanks to them, I am where I need to be today.
Favorite thing to do outside of work: When the weather allows it in the Midwest, I love to explore nature. It helps ground me and be centered when things around me might be hectic. I also like to read, preferably sci-fi, because it allows me to imagine the world the author is depicting.
One word to describe me: Adaptable.
What’s one thing that most people would be surprised to know about you: One thing people get surprised about is when I add ketchup to my Hawaiian pizza (yes, love pineapple on my pizza, too).
Greatest fear: Not living life to the fullest. In high school, one of my dearest friends passed away from leukemia. She was a remarkable person — full of resilience and brilliance — and she had a way of brightening up the lives of those around her.
I remember one day when we were at her house, she told us to live life to the fullest because we never know when our time on Earth will end. Three months later, she passed away, and her words have stayed with me ever since. I try to live by her advice and make the most of every moment.
What’s the one thing you are most passionate about in your life: When I was younger, my passion was tennis, which led me to come to the United States to play and pursue an education. Nowadays, my passion is to be a positive force for change — challenge the status quo, relearn and hold spaces for people — in any environment I find myself in.
Arantxa Martinez Resendiz came to Dubuque from her hometown of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 2014 to study at the University of Dubuque. After getting her degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing in 2018, she began working for the university as a social media coordinator. Soon, she transitioned into the position of marketing analyst for the university.
“I look at the back end of the website and all the data that comes in,” she said. “Bounce rates, social media and a lot of other things. I analyze that data and create reports that go to other departments like marketing.”
Martinez Resendiz admits that when she first came to UD, she didn’t venture far from campus.
“When I was a student, to be honest, I never left campus,” she said. “I never felt the need to do that. When I graduated and started working, suddenly I realized there was a lot more out there, and I needed to go out and explore it.”
Clara Lopez, of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, nominated Martinez Resendiz for Rising Stars, and the pair have gotten to know each other through their volunteer work in the community.
“Arantxa is a role model for many women who aspire to be successful, charismatic and approachable,” Lopez said in her nomination. “She came to Dubuque as a student from Mexico, and decided to continue to make this community her home and uplift the voices of the Latinx community.”
Martinez Resendiz first got involved volunteering for Dubuque Regional Humane Society and the Dubuque Farmers Market. She soon got involved with planning for Dubuque’s Latin Fiesta.
Those planning meetings, along with the relationships forged among the group, led to the founding of Dubuque Unidos, a group of young professionals who bring cultural awareness to the community through organizing educational and social events. Dubuque Unidos recently joined with LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), and now has even more resources that it can bring to the community with the national affiliation.
Martinez Resendiz is vice president of the Dubuque chapter, and recently took on public relations duties for all LULAC chapters in Iowa.
“The main thing that we plan is the fiesta, but we have so many more resources now,” Martinez Resendiz said. “There are resources for Latin farmers, so we’re planning a workshop where we can introduce them to those resources.”
She also is the codirector of social media for the Young Professionals program at the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, and is on the Dubuque Farmers Market committee.
“(Arantxa) exemplifies leadership through her role in events and community engagement,” Lopez said.
Martinez Resendiz is determined to make an impact in her home of Dubuque.
“I do find that it is my home now,” she said. “I’ve always said to people that you so often hear what’s wrong in a community. But if you want to make changes, you have to be involved and active.”