By Shelby Westinghouse, Chadron State College
CHADRON, Neb. – Spencer Martinez of Centennial, Colorado, is the November Project Strive/TRiO Student of the Month.
Martinez arrived at Chadron State College in Fall 2021 and is currently pursuing a special education degree with an endorsement in coaching. He was introduced to special education instruction in high school, when he was asked to assist in a classroom.
“I said, ‘what's the worst thing that could happen?’ And all the kiddos just fell in love with me and from there, it just took off,” he said.
Martinez gained experience in high school as a Special Olympics assistant and a personal mentee for a special education student. He now works in the Chadron Public Schools as a substitute and sub paraprofessional, where he works one-on-one with students.
Martinez enjoys staying active by officiating RMAC soccer matches and hiking C-Hill.
One class that stands out in his education journey is his Health, Physical Education and Recreation course Introduction to Adaptive Physical Education (HPER422) with Dr. Dawn Brammer.
“We would play games with the Chadron students, having fun and letting them be kids,” he said. “I already had a connection with them from subbing, so it was a lot easier for me to help those students.”
Martinez said he was nervous when initially enrolling in college as a first-generation student but found a safe space within Project Strive. He said that it has been beneficial to be surrounded by other first-generation students.
Jen Schaer, Director of Project Strive, said Spencer contributes to the program.
“Spencer has an upbeat attitude and uses his resources. He is open to learning new things and developing as a person, this will help him be a great teacher,” Schaer said.
Chadron State College’s Project Strive/TRiO program, located in the lower level of the King Library, is an academic enrichment program committed to help students succeed. Project Strive also focuses on career exploration, cultural and social enrichment, and self-awareness. To be eligible for the program, a student must be one of the following: A first-generation student where neither parent has a four-year degree, meet low-income status based on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services criteria, or have a documented disability.
For more information, visit https://www.csc.edu/projectstrive/.