Middlesex CC Names Darie Martinez 2022-2023 Student Trustee

Darie Martinez, of Lawrence, has been named to the Middlesex Community College Board of Trustees for the 2022-2023 academic year as Student Trustee. In her time as Student Trustee, Martinez wants to be a voice for the diverse students of Middlesex.

“I want to make sure that as a whole, all students can feel represented,” Martinez said. “I think that the Student Trustee has a lot of responsibilities and needs to be the person to speak for all students. I know that we have had some great Student Trustees and I want to make sure I do my part for the school’s students.”

An active member of the MCC community, Martinez enjoys helping her classmates. In addition to her new role as Student Trustee, she is both a peer and embedded tutor as part of the college’s Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE) department. As a tutor and trustee, she takes seriously the responsibility of reaching out and offering support to others when they are struggling. It is also important for Martinez to show the community the importance of participating in college activities, events and clubs.

“I want to be able to get more students to be active on campus because we are getting back to normal after being off campus because of the pandemic,” Martinez said. “I think if you’re active in campus life you get more out of the experience. You get to meet new people and there’s always fun activities going on at the school.”

Martinez also enjoys collaborating with her classmates and professors in her classes for her Liberal Arts and Sciences major. The best parts of the college have been learning from and engaging in conversations with others about the subjects she is studying and gaining a deeper understanding of certain topics. Knowing there are people at MCC who care about her success has also been beneficial.

She lists a number of professors who have offered her support at MCC. While Deborah Botker and Jennifer Bauer have offered Martinez encouragement, Stephanie Pesce helped Martinez improve her writing skills in three courses. In Jonathan Bennett’s course, Martinez has learned from inclusive and deep conversations that welcomed contributions from the entire class.

“I have had some great professors who have taught me a great deal,” she said. “[The best part of MCC’s Liberal Arts and Sciences program] is getting to collaborate with people who are just as passionate about the sciences and who want to make an impact in any way that they can.”

After she graduates with her associate degree from MCC, Martinez plans to transfer to a four-year college and continue her studies. Her path to Middlesex started when a friend who had also attended recommended it to her. As Student Trustee, she hopes to inspire others to choose to come to MCC and get involved with the community.

“It really helped me decide to join the school,” she said. “Overall, my experience at MCC has been great.”