Juana Melgoza ’26 learned to double down on her dreams at Santa Clara

When asked to pick 10 dream companies she’d want to work for in her LEAD Scholars career course, Juana Melgoza ’26 wrote down Netflix and Disney—then immediately erased them. The first-generation business marketing major came to Â鶹ŮÀÉ from Lamont, California, a small farming community outside of Bakersfield, and never imagined companies like these were within reach.

“I wanted to write down companies that felt realistic,” Melgoza says. But after mentioning this to Marqus Koranteng, assistant director of marketing and programming for Santa Clara’s LEAD Scholars Program, he immediately told her to rewrite them. “He said, ‘You can do it. I’m going to connect you with someone I know at Netflix right now.’ I remember thinking there’s no way I’m going to talk to someone at Netflix. But I did.”

Melgoza found a mentor through this connection and kept going. Inspired to make that dream list a reality, she continued to build relationships inside and outside the classroom. Little did she know, those connections would open doors to opportunities she once thought unattainable.

“If you told me to write down those 10 companies again, I would not erase Netflix and Disney,” says Melgoza, who is currently exploring opportunities in content production through her connections at Netflix. “I’ve been able to see myself in a place where my younger self wouldn’t have thought possible. I’m grateful to the people at Santa Clara who supported and encouraged me.”

One of those supporters was Professor Matthew Harrigan. In his public policy course, Melgoza studied how U.S. policy shapes non-profit funding, and what that means for people trying to access education and run small businesses. She brought that knowledge into her work with the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, where she helped connect students and mothers in the area to scholarships, food, and housing.

Melgoza was also heavily involved in LEAD, where she applied her business marketing skills as a senior marketing assistant. In this role, she developed and executed social media strategies to help first-generation students find belonging and opportunities to succeed at Santa Clara.

Melgoza learned the power of believing in herself and advocating for others at Santa Clara—and she plans to continue doing both in her next chapter.

“Growing up, I had limited resources and often had to fight to be in spaces. At Santa Clara, I’ve been invited into spaces without having to fight for them—and I’ve been able to reflect on how we can continue expanding them for other people,” says Melgoza.

On a Jesuit value she will carry forward

“When I first visited Santa Clara, I went into the church and met a Father who told me about cura personalis. Now, I always think about how I can care for a person as a whole, whether that’s mentally, physically, or academically. I’m not only thinking about myself, but my classmates, peers, and parents too.”

On finding community at Santa Clara

“Throughout my time at Santa Clara, I’ve built personal relationships with people all across campus. I definitely have found my people here who genuinely want to see me succeed. When I talk to them, they remind me of my purpose and I feel more confident about who I am. I’m grateful to have a network of mentors that I know will extend beyond graduation.”