Student Spotlight: Evelyn Ortiz-Martinez, hardworking and motivated 

Evelyn Oritz-Martinez

by Cindy Lance

“Hardworking and motivated” are two words to describe Evelyn Ortiz-Martinez. According to teacher Jessica Martell, another quality that sets the student at Stockbridge High School apart is “her earnest enthusiasm for learning.”

Recently, this young woman completed a three-day Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership seminar. HOBY’s mission is to inspire and develop the global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. While attending, Ortiz-Martinez helped other sophomore students pack approximately 10,230 meals for people in need.

Ortiz-Martinez, the eldest of five children, is the daughter of Betty and Jose Ortiz-Martinez. She has two brothers, Jose and Nicholas, and two sisters, Ariana and Cecilia.

Her mother has had the greatest influence in her life, she said, because, “No Matter what life throws at her, she handles it with grace. I aspire to be more like her every day.” The family has lived in this area and the children have attended Stockbridge Community Schools since kindergarten. Ortiz-Martinez, not being a fan of the city, loves nature and the rural area. She enjoys a sense of peace and home.

This past year was one with many successes. Ortiz-Martinez takes full advantage of the numerous offerings at SHS, and was on the FIRST Robotics Team that competed in the World Level Competition. AP Computer Science projects gave her a feeling of power, freedom and creativity, she said, and a sense of resilience. She has maintained a 4.0 grade point average both freshman and sophomore years, receiving several awards for her hard work. She looks to be a lawyer or computer programmer as an adult, but knows that she could also find her passion in other areas.

A saying that Ortiz-Martinez lives by is “choose your friends wisely.” Over the years she has found that “I am who I hang out with.” Goals and aspirations being set high, Ortiz-Martinez wants to be the best person she can be. She further stated that someone close once mentioned that you can “talk as much as I want, as long as I want, but nothing will ever be done unless I take action. I apply this to my homework, study habits, and even things like improving my soccer skills.”

When Ortiz-Martinez isn’t focusing on academics, she loves to read, hang out with friends and play soccer. She considers humor to be her best hobby, and continually makes others laugh.