2022-23 BTC Calendar: Ari Garcia

Scholarship recipient Ari Garcia (’19) understands what it’s like to have big dreams but equally big financial need. That’s why Garcia, who immigrated to the United States in the eighth grade and went on to double major in international affairs and economics, is now a contributor to the Dukes Pay It Forward campaign. “I’ve personally experienced the feeling of reassurance,” she says. “If I hadn’t received a scholarship, I think it would have been very difficult for me to ultimately graduate.” While she begins to build her career as a labor policy consultant, Garcia is already paying it forward, helping JMU recruit and retain highly qualified students like herself. “We all have that shared experience of being at JMU. I think it’s important to put ourselves in that place again, to remind ourselves of it, and support other students. It’s impacting a person’s life.”