story by Claire Miller
It was always important to Mary Martinez to get a college education.
But when she had her first child, she didn’t have the finances or childcare to go to college and raise a family at the same time.
She put her educational goals on hold while she raised three children, but attending college remained a priority for her.
“As much as I enjoyed being home, I missed learning and I knew that I wanted to go back to work at some point," she said. “Once my oldest was in kindergarten, I was in a better place financially and I had a support system that allowed me to attend classes despite having two younger children still at home, I decided to go to college.”
Martinez knew she wanted to be a teacher, so she applied to Georgia State University’s middle level education program, housed in the university’s College of Education & Human Development.
She’s grateful for the staff who helped her with the application process, navigating financial aid and preparing for her academic journey.
“Attending Georgia State has been life-changing for me,” she said. “I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of going back to school because I didn’t think I would be able to succeed. However, every step of the way, I was met with the support that I needed. I truly believe that Georgia State stands apart from other schools.”
She received the same support and care from the faculty and students in her program. Martinez remembers struggling with teaching one specific class during her student teaching experience, and she was determined to make a change.
She reached out to Associate Professor Jacob Hackett, who coordinates the middle level education program, and asked him to observe her class and give feedback.
He spent half an hour with Martinez right after her class, answering all of her questions, detailing the ways she was doing well and suggesting teaching practices that she might want to try.
“It is a testament to the supportive nature of the middle level education program that I felt comfortable scheduling an observation in my most difficult class period,” she said. “On one of my toughest days of student teaching, rather than feeling discouraged, I felt empowered by the feedback that I received and my teaching greatly improved over that semester.”
After graduating this spring, Martinez plans to teach sixth grade English language arts for at least a year before applying for the master’s program in literacy education.
She hopes her education and experiences will lead to a meaningful career as a classroom teacher and then a literacy specialist.
“Georgia State has prepared me for a career in education in more ways than I can list, but I would say the most important one is the understanding of literacy and equity in education that I now have,” Martinez said. “As an educator who is equipped with teaching strategies and is committed to equity, I feel prepared to teach, to do my part in addressing educational disparities and to begin a fruitful career in education.”