NW Valley Times

Lauren Martinez, a kindergarten teacher from Greeley, Colorado, has proven her resilience in the face of adversity. Last spring, she lost her father to a heart attack and discovered that she and her husband were expecting their fourth child. Despite these challenges, and while managing her responsibilities as a teacher, sports coach for her children, mentor to a student teacher, leadership teaching position holder, and board member of her school's parent group, Martinez remained steadfast in her pursuit of an online master's degree at Grand Canyon University (GCU).

"I kept saying this remedy prayer and kept thinking of Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through God, who strengthens me,’" Martinez said. “Both my parents had their master’s degrees and were super proud to have me go back (to earn a master’s)."

Her determination paid off when she completed her academic commitments while on maternity leave after the birth of her youngest child on March 7. She celebrated this accomplishment at the Commencement ceremony at Global Credit Union Arena.

Martinez is one of nearly 29,000 graduates this spring crossing the Arena stage. Among these graduates are almost 23,600 online students. Furthermore, Martinez is among the 13,405 individuals who earned their master's or doctoral degrees.

Julia O’Reilly, GCU Development Officer, commended Martinez for her perseverance: “I use her as an example for students quite often,” O’Reilly said. “She’s very successful."

Martinez's journey began when O'Reilly set up a cohort for Martinez’s school district in January 2023 consisting of ten full-time employees with various backgrounds and goals. The cohort program offered additional scholarship money and its structure appealed to Martinez.

Martinez attributed much of her success to GCU’s online program which allowed flexibility during difficult times such as arranging funeral services for her father.

“They wanted to be kept in the loop and wanted everyone to be successful,” she said. “It was a great experience.”

With her master’s degree in communication with an emphasis in education, Martinez is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. “We’re praying on it to see what God’s will is,” she said. “The plan for now is to still continue to teach and be an advocate for others."