An Inspiring Story of Scholarly Sisters

When it comes to being inspiring role models, you can’t get much better than sisters Wendy Maurin and Maria Miramontes of Santa Maria. As if becoming the first generation of their family to go to college wasn’t enough, Wendy and Maria are now poised to walk at commencement again this coming May along with another family member — Wendy’s daughter Priscilla.

Both sisters were young mothers who later became adult college students, pursing and earning higher education degrees through UMass Global. They graduated together in 2018, Miramontes earning a master’s degree and Maurin earning her bachelor’s.

The two then moved on toward their next degrees — Miramontes a second master’s and Maurin a teaching credential. Both are scheduled to walk during UMass Global commencement again this May 18, 2024, with one big difference. This time Maurin’s daughter will make it a generational celebration as she joins her mom and aunt and receives her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

Both Miramontes and Maurin worked for the Santa Maria-Bonita School District as a health aid and food service worker, respectively, before setting their goals higher. Now, Miramontes is a program specialist for P3 in the district and Maurin is a transitional kindergarten teacher at Fairlawn Elementary School. This story makes for great reading in the Santa Maria Times. Here is the link to the full story.