What Happens Here Matters
Itza Martinez Makes a Difference
Fulfilling the Duchesne Center Scholar requirement of 30 community service hours per semester is easy for Itza Martinez, who recently completed 170 hours in eight months. “I like to do a lot of community service,” explains Itza. “It is part of who I am.”
A senior majoring in art with an education minor, Itza is part of an accelerated five-year BFA/MAT program at Manhattanville. Even so, she’s made time to participate in Midnight Runs into New York City to distribute food and clothing to the homeless, socialize animals at the humane society, and volunteer at elder centers. “I met an amazing man named Charles,” she says. “He kicked my butt in chess, but it was so much fun being able to play and listen to his experiences.”
Her favorite projects engage children from the Coachman Family Center in White Plains, and she’s presently a senior coordinator for the Global Education Through The Arts (GETA) program for special needs students in Yonkers. GETA volunteers lead students in discussions about global issues, after which Itza guides them in artistic expression of what they’ve learned. “Art is therapeutic because it offers students alternative modes of expression,” she explains. “They may not have the words to express a concern, but they can draw it, paint it, or create a sculpture.”
“I’ve been given a lot of wealth in being able to study at Manhattanville,” says Itza. “It would be selfish of me not to give back in some way.”
Such giving back has far-reaching effects, Itza believes. “There’s a wonderful network that’s created when you do community service,” she says. “Imagine how much better the community is when 30 people put in just 30 hours. Then imagine a student body of 1,500 where almost everybody gets involved. It activates a whole chain of events that unleashes good things.”
From Manhattanville Magazine