Martinez Fellowship leads to opportunities for CWU education grads

ELLENSBURG - Two recent Central Washington University School of Education graduates have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in their local communities after being selected for the Martinez Fellowship(link is external) program.

Beginning this summer, Marcus Culler and Martha Goodwin will participate in the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) program for the next two years, hoping to combine that experience with what they learned at CWU to become better educators.

“When I found out that I was accepted, I could hardly believe it,” said Goodwin, a Mexican immigrant who started at Pierce College before transferring to CWU in 2021. “This fellowship is going to provide us with so many learning opportunities from people who have had similar life experiences and who share our goal of enriching the teaching profession.”

The Martinez Fellowship program’s mission is to change the culture of K-12 public education by prioritizing the personal and professional growth of educators of color, as well as those from traditionally underserved communities. The program supports young educators so they can maximize their opportunities and increase their representation in Washington state.

TAF is a Seattle-based nonprofit that partners with public school districts, universities, community, and corporate partners to improve learning opportunities and academic achievement for underrepresented students.

According to a statement on the organization's website(link is external), the Martinez Fellowship seeks to change this dynamic through programming that allows fellows to move beyond being merely educators and growing into transformational education leaders.

Culler said he is both surprised and grateful for the opportunity: “I saw a flyer on campus about an education program looking for people of color who were looking for an opportunity to grow. Both of those fit me, and I’m really excited that I was chosen.”

The aspiring physical education teacher said being selected for the fellowship gives him a new level of confidence as he begins his career. Now, he can’t wait to take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom of Martinez Fellowship participants from the past 14 years.

“The mentors are there to help us learn how to adapt to the new society we’re evolving into,” said Culler, who is part African-American and part Panamanian/Colombian. “Basically, they’re just trying to help young people of color come together to collaborate and innovate so we can become better educators.”

Goodwin, who finished her student teaching this spring at Manitou Park Elementary School in Tacoma, said she looks forward to an opportunity to use her fellowship experience to help minorities and create a classroom culture of learning and embracing diversity.

“I feel it’s important to find ways to help children see themselves in you as a teacher,” said Goodwin, a mother of two and a former paraeducator who wants to become a kindergarten teacher. “Working with little kids is so much fun. They are so full of life, and it’s so rewarding.”

Culler will be a student teacher at Eisenhower High School in Yakima this fall, overseeing a classroom for the first three months. Pending his evaluation, he will become a certified teacher later this year.

In the meantime, he looks forward to working with his Martinez Fellowship mentors over the next three years as he seeks to become an even more effective classroom manager.

“There aren’t a lot of educators who are people of color, so I just need to build my confidence by going out and doing it,” Culler said. “The fellowship is going to provide me with a lot of great information and ideas that will really help with my development.”

Both graduates hope to see more of their CWU peers apply for the Martinez Fellowship, and they encourage more students to apply.

“Many colleges and universities are part of this program, and we are all part of this learning experience for all education majors,” Goodwin said. “It’s a pretty amazing opportunity.”