Marion Paul Mendoza

For Marion Paul Mendoza, a business student at SAIT, becoming a CPA is about more than career ambition—it’s about stability, opportunity, and family. “I really want to support my mom,” he says. “She’s working three jobs…and she has to do all this work just to keep us afloat as a single mother of two children. I really want to make things easier for her, and that means getting a really good job.”

Still early in his academic journey, Marion has also already become deeply involved on campus. He attends networking events, helps international students with their English through SAIT’s English Conversation Partners program, is an officer in the Kabayan Club, and recently stepped into a leadership role as Vice-president of SAIT’s newly formed Articulate Speakers’ Association.

This new club focuses on building public speaking and communications skills and increasing confidence, all of which Marion once struggled with. “I went from an introvert to an extrovert,” he says. “I decided to take leaps and to get out of my shell and put myself out there.”

He compares it to Miles Morales from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. “At first, Miles was uncertain and overwhelmed as he tried to find his place, much like beginning post secondary,” he says. “But through mistakes, mentorship, and perseverance, he slowly learned to trust himself. And now he stands confidently as a capable and self-assured hero.” Being named a Capitalize Campus Star inspires Marion to continue on this trajectory. “It serves as a testament of my growth and how much I’ve grown since starting post-secondary school,” he says. “And I want to prove to everyone that I’m capable of being a Capitalize Campus Star…of being the best person I can be.”

Q&A with Marion

What does being named a Capitalize Campus Star mean to you?

Taking the mantle of a Capitalize Campus Star is a great honour to me and is a title I hold in high regard. Being nominated to become one is testament to my own growth ever since entering post-secondary in spring of this year, where I went out of my comfort zone and placed myself out there when opportunities arose.

Is there anyone you would like to thank for their help or inspiration?

The first person that comes to mind is my mother, who is a single mother of two children and the core reason I am taking accounting in the first place. She reminds me that no matter how tough situations may be, we have to face it head on or else nothing will change. This could be why she has endured so much for me and my brother.

What’s a passion or hobby you pursue outside of your studies?

My passion and hobby that I absolutely love doing is model kit building. Specifically, gundams or gunplas. When I find an opportunity to unwind, I enjoy my time assembling my gundams where afterwards I meticulously pose my completed kits on my display cabinet in my room. My friends got me into the hobby in May last year, and we’ve been keeping it a topic of interest in our daily conversations.

Capitalize and CPA Alberta are proud to introduce the 2026 class of Capitalize Campus Stars. The Campus Stars program recognizes amazing Alberta post-secondary students who are dreaming of one day becoming CPAs. Learn more about the whole 2026 class!