Joyful, fun, and structured– those are the three words Ms. Martins uses to describe herself. And they couldn’t fit her better. Whether she’s talking about her journey to becoming a health teacher or her newest goal of running a half marathon, Ms. Martins radiates energy and optimism. She’s the type of person who finds purpose in progress: one mile, one class, one student at a time.

Raised in Plainview, Ms. Martins attended Plainview–Old Bethpage High School, where she spent much of her time balancing academics with athletics.

“I played soccer in high school,” Martins said, “but I don’t think it really described who I was.”

Unlike many of her peers, she didn’t belong to a single friend group, she floated between circles, friendly with everyone but not especially close to anyone.

“It was a little hard,” Martins said, “because I didn’t have a lot of close friends. But I really loved school, which is weird because my social life wasn’t the best. I just genuinely loved learning.”

That love of learning carried into college, where she attended SUNY Cortland for both her undergraduate and master’s degrees. College, she says, was where she began to feel grounded.

“That’s where I really found my people,” Martins said. “It was a time when I solidified my friendships and started figuring out who I was.”

Academically, her path wasn’t always straightforward. Being studious was something she got into later on. She admits to being the type of kid who had to try really hard which could be a possibility as to why she was not super into schoolwork at first.

But everything changed when she chose her major.

“When I picked health education, it was something I was actually interested in. I even researched it on my own time, which I never used to do,” Martins said.

Interestingly, Ms. Martins didn’t start out as a health major. She went into college as an English education major, with a love for reading, but ended up hating the poetry class she took.

Around that time, her parents suggested something different, becoming a health teacher.

“They noticed how much I cared about health and fitness, and they said, ‘Why not teach something you love?’” said Martins.

She took one class in health education and was hooked.

“I loved it. It just clicked. I’m a very Type A person– I love structure, I love people, and I love being social, and teaching brought all of that together,” Martins said.

For Ms. Martins, teaching is more than a profession; it’s a place where she feels she truly belongs. A lot of people love school because of their friends, however, she loved school because of learning.

That sense of belonging deepened during her time as a student teacher. She began at Oyster Bay High School, where she taught health and served as a substitute.

“There was one student who wasn’t even in my class,” said Martins.

“She used to come by with her friends after school, and one day she came to me about something personal. She was struggling with her home life and friendships. It meant so much that she felt comfortable talking to me, even though I wasn’t her teacher.”

Moments like that, she says, are what remind her why she teaches. Those are the connections that matter the most.

After finishing her student teaching, Ms. Martins officially began her career at North High. She’d also been offered a position at another district but ultimately felt drawn to something different. She explains that the other district had three schools, while Great Neck’s district had eleven.

“It just felt like there would be more opportunity here, more room to grow,” Martins said. “It seemed like the better fit.”

Outside of the classroom, Ms. Martins continues to challenge herself, this time on the track. Martins is training for a half marathon in April, and has begun training. While she does not classify herself as a runner, she has always admired those who could run, and decided to take the challenge upon herself.

Her determination to push herself, whether in running, teaching, or personal growth, defines who she is. She explains that she tells students all the time that effort matters, and that’s exactly what Ms. Martins does every day: shows up, keeps going, and inspires her students to do the same, one step, one lesson, one mile at a time.