Martin

Hello, I’m Martin! I have served as an educator for over 20 years, spending the last 12 working in higher education as a Learning Specialist. I earned my B.S. in Biology from USC and moved on to work as a middle school science teacher for 10 years. I returned to USC for graduate school and earned a Master’s degree in Post-Secondary Administration and Student Affairs in 2010, and completed my Doctorate in Education in 2013, in which my research focused on cross-cultural competency and learning development.

As a Learning Specialist, I work to empower my students through a person-centered approach aimed at fostering confidence and self-regulation. Working with students spanning from K12 to the graduate school level, I aim to guide them through the learning process, implementing strategies and interventions through the use of individualized academic support plans. I value the opportunity to work with students, particularly emerging writers, and my goal is always to meet them where they are in the process by building rapport and creating a space where they can develop their writing skills and find their own voice.

I have worked with students across a spectrum of backgrounds, abilities, and needs, including students with learning differences, executive functioning challenges, and disorders of written expression. I am especially blessed to have spent the second half of my career in education working with twice-exceptional learners as well as particularly highly-skilled and elite student athletes, who I find are as amazing off the field as they are on it. I genuinely believe that the value of a Learning Specialist rests in the ability to empower young learners and introduce them to the skills and strategies that will help them succeed far beyond the classroom.