Martinez, who grew up in Chimayo, had to deal with the drug issue that Rio Arriba County is known for. Rio Arriba County has one of the highest death rates per capita due to drug overdose.
However, thanks to his faith and his family, Martinez was never involved with the drug problem that plagues his hometown. Now Martinez will be graduating from UNM for the second time with a master’s degree in public administration.
“Our parents provided very well for us, and we went to church and God has always been the foundation of our family in everything that we do,” he said. “That’s very important to us, and that has helped us to be a good family and to overcome kind of those obstacles that we had to deal with growing up.”
After graduating with his undergraduate degree in health education at UNM in 2010, Martinez decided to return to Española and became a counselor for Rio Arriba’s Substance Abuse Program. Martinez worked at the program from March of 2011 to June of 2012.
“We all grew up around it, and I just made a different choice to not be a part of that type of lifestyle,” he said. “I got a lot of respect from the inmates because we all had the same kind of opportunities, and some take different paths than others. It could be difficult, but we always want what’s best for us and our families.”
Martinez then married his wife, Hannah, and moved back to Albuquerque to start his master’s program in public administration in August 2013. Before returning to UNM for his master’s degree, Martinez joined the Women, Children and Infants program, which helps postpartum women and children who are found to be at nutritional risk.
“It’s very important to give back and help those that need it a little bit more than others,” Martinez said.
Martinez left WIC for his current job as the Health Equity Director at the American Heart Association last January. He said he does a lot of community engagement work by trying to educate people about heart disease and strokes.
“Any programs that I have available or have to offer that way, I always take it back to my community in Española or Chimayo,” he said. “I’m involved with the local government there, so I’m able to do a lot with the city and the community.”
Of his family, Martinez is the only one to have gone to college and not get a master’s degree in speech pathology. Martinez’s father, Jimmy, his brother, James, and his sisters, Cristal Valdez and Melissa Sandoval, all earned degrees in that area.
Once his brother and sisters completed their master’s work, they all moved back to Northern New Mexico to work for Española Public Schools.
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“It’s important that people who are doing good and are successful and are educated go back to make sure it’s a better place,” Martinez said. “To help those who made different choices, and to just kind of be the light in the darkness.”
Thomas Romero-Salas is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.
