Martinez fellows (from left) Aimee DeVaughn, Jennifer Brantley, and Loyda Zamalloa.Former Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez and his wife, Holli, created the Martinez Foundation in 2008 with the goal of improving teacher diversity in Washington state. They had a vision of enabling every student to be successful in school and in life, and they found this could be encouraged by improving teacher diversity in the classrooms of Washington state.
By improving teacher diversity, the Martinez Foundation seeks to give all students a chance to have a teacher and role model with whom they can develop a positive connection. Encouraging teachers of color to enter the classroom provides opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to have a clear and concrete sense of what diversity looks like, both in education and in our society. With this goal in mind, the Martinez Foundation supports teacher candidates of color from various teacher preparation programs around the state.
In 2013, Seattle Pacific University’s School of Education began partnering with the Martinez Foundation to support diverse student teacher candidates. In the first year of the collaboration, there were two Martinez-SPU fellows: Amber Frazier and Ricky dos Remedios. This current school year, there are three: Jennifer Brantley, Aimee DeVaughn, and Loyda Zamalloa. The School of Education hopes to continue to grow in its support of fellows at SPU in the future.
The foundation grants scholarships and provides support programs to its fellows, beginning in the student teaching experience and continuing into classroom careers. As the first two years of teaching can be very challenging — yet important for the sake of retention — the foundation seeks to support new teachers through ongoing mentoring and professional development. As Martinez fellows are committed to equity in education, they are also informally forming networks and connections between teachers of color throughout the state.
With a shared commitment to equity and social justice, the School of Education and the John Perkins Center at SPU are dedicated to supporting students of color and connecting them to a future in teaching. Learn more about the Martinez Foundation and its partnership with SPU.
You can also join this effort with a gift to help deserving students through Diversity Education Scholarships.