My Giving Story: Tanya Martinez
My Giving Story goes back to when I was a little girl. We didn’t have much. My mom and dad worked hard. My dad taught and then worked on the weekends to make ends meet. They couldn’t afford lots of extras, so they gave us the world between the covers of a book. My parents were also leaders who taught by example. My mom and dad had my dad’s students over to work on things like preparing for competitions and other events. They showed me that teaching doesn’t begin when the bell rings or end when you say, “Class dismissed.”
When I became a teacher, I knew that I wanted to give the love of books and writing to my students. I am so fortunate to work with passionate colleagues who feel the same. Our school, KIPP Austin Vista Middle School, strives to inspire our students to success and to recognize that all of our students deserve the best educational experience. Equity is at the core of our journey, and we do our best to give our students every opportunity for success. This includes putting a diverse collection of literature in their hands.
My Giving Story is about seeing students get excited and teachers getting excited! It’s about our school leaders that want to give the best to our families and our staff. It is about working as a team of leaders to inspire our community and renewing our commitment to best educational practices every single day.
My Giving Story is about the network of educators that I am pleased to call friends and collaborators. I have had the privilege of working all over the state of Texas, and I am proud of the network of leaders that I am constantly looking to for support and inspiration. So many teachers give time, talent, and treasure. They remind me to always challenge myself to be the best version of myself and to meet the challenges of this dynamic profession.
Want to join the Leaders Readers Network this Giving Tuesday to help ensure children have access to high quality and relevant brand new books?Donate Today to sponsor a classroom. Your support will reach the most vulnerable students and unlock a lifelong love for learning, reading and creativity.
