Hector Mendoza M’25 was tired of the day-to-day stress and dissatisfied with his career in technology software sales. He knew a career change was needed.
At the time, he was doing a mentoring program similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters called Boulder Options. After he came home from an outing with his mentee, his wife asked him if he had ever considered going into social work and becoming a therapist.
“I had gone through therapy and realized the power of having therapy in your life,” he said, yet he questioned spending the money on graduate school vs. the financial or overall reward.
But his wife had planted a seed in him.
He sought advice from another Boulder Options mentor, a therapist who was also a Saint Mary’s alumnus. “He said, ‘Out of all the colleges, Saint Mary’s is the most affordable while offering the same benefits — the same resources and top-tier professors.’ As a Dad, that word ‘affordable’ stood out to me, and also the fact he was able to finish the program in two years resonated with me; it did take me two and a half.”
Mendoza went online to Saint Mary’s website and filled out the “I want more information” segment, and said a response came back quickly. “I was so relieved that the admissions counselor was like, ‘Here’s the process and timeline, and I’m happy to connect you with people.’ The simplicity and welcomeness were really awesome and powerful.”
Once enrolled in the M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program, Mendoza was pleased to find his courses were filled with a mix of people, including those fresh from their undergraduate programs, others transitioning from other careers, and those in the mental health field looking to advance.
He also came to appreciate being taught by professionals currently in the field. “These are folks who are therapists by day and teach us in the evening. I really liked their perspective,” he said. He respected that professors not only covered theoretical applications but also offered practical insights into career advice. “They believe in the power of apprenticeship or mentorship, passing on the knowledge or paying it forward. There’s this sense of ‘I’m doing this because I appreciated those who guided me through the process, so I’m doing this in return.’ ”
Mendoza was chosen to speak at his commencement ceremony. He told the audience, “Saint Mary’s trains us how to think, rather than what to think. We were taught how to evaluate claims, how to hold competing ideas and tension, and how to make decisions grounded in reflection rather than impulse. This preparation doesn’t point us toward identical conclusions. In fact, it does the opposite. It equips us to collaborate across differences and to remain intellectually honest when the answers are unclear. Perhaps the most enduring lesson is this: Thinking well carries responsibility. It shapes how we lead, how we serve, and how we treat people when the stakes are real and the outcomes matter.”
Mendoza currently works as a pre-licensed bilingual therapist at Southside Community Health Services and is happy he made the career change for several reasons:
“I’m working with people who look like me, speak the language I grew up speaking, eat the same food I eat, and that’s significant,” he said. Coming from Tucson, Arizona — where there was a large Hispanic population — to the Midwest was a big cultural change. He’s happy to be among and helping others who are Hispanic.
He also loves that his career demands intellectual curiosity and challenge. “This job requires ongoing learning and bouncing ideas with fellow therapists. That for me is worth the career change itself. That I get to have a more fulfilling career is just the cherry on top,” he said.
Like Saint Mary’s was once recommended to him, Mendoza wants to recommend the university to others. “The words that come to mind are effective and efficient,” he said. “Everything from the application process to how we go through first-hand experiences in class with professors who are in the field, to Saint Mary’s many connections in the metropolitan area and beyond for the practicum/internship part. I felt the structures were in place, and I appreciate that. And we’re told, ‘If you need support, we’re right here.’ ”
