Leah Martinez exemplifies the Best and the Brightest. An excellent student, her cumulative grade-point average is 4.35. Leah is also a member of the National Honors Society, and a member of the Academic All-State Team.

Her social studies teacher Keith Ferguson told us, “Academically Leah is an all-star.” He continues his praise of the student leader saying, “… Beyond school, Leah has a rich life that demonstrates her concern for others and commitment to her community.”

Leah believes that positive representation of her Latino community matters, but community must be inclusive. As a student at Palmer High School, she serves as student body president and is well known for galvanizing the student body, staff, and parents for action that helps everyone.

When asked, she credits her parents Gaspar and Becky for showing her how to prioritize the needs of others saying, “They always preached to me and my siblings how important it was to show appreciation and to give back.”

And give back, she has.

Leah Martinex has been volunteering since she was 10. She speaks glowingly of this experience affirming, “Every year, I go to the El Cinco De Mayo Inc. scholarship banquet and listen to the speeches and stories of the students of the students who are receiving the scholarship. The hard work my parents, the committee leaders and volunteers have done throughout the year contribute to the dream that these students get to live out.”

Other charitable efforts spearheaded by Martinez included overseeing a drive that resulted in $3,600 being raised for food-insecure families at Palmer. Leah also started a mentorship initiative for the ninth graders, fostering a culture of leadership development at the school.

School staff says of Martinez, “She understands that leadership is not about affirming her own ego, or advancing her personal interests but is rather an opportunity to collaborate with and empower others towards a common goal.” Ironically, it was an experience of not being included that may have nudged Leah onto this all-inclusive leadership path.

In middle school, Leah made an appointment with a dermatologist to have a facial scar removed. Instead of being given treatment, she was turned away. The first experience from the physician sounded as though they were disapproving of her skin color.

Despite a strong emotional reaction, Leah kept her cool and explained the impact of feeling underrepresented. Refusing to blame the experience on racism — this young woman pushed for a depth of understanding what the problem really was.

By asking insightful questions, she discovered that the doctor’s inexperience with patients of color undermined his ability to treat certain skin pathologies. The doctor simply had a lack of familiarity with best practices for Latino skin.

Leah recounts the occurrence saying, “This experience helped me better understand the cultural divide when seeking medical attention. Her emotional maturity showed when she told us, “With the increasingly rapid rate of diversification of Latinos in the United States, it is crucial that Latinos and people of color have resources and doctors available who feel confident and comfortable working with them”.

Her teacher Keith Ferguson says, “Leah’s leadership, service and drive are ultimately expressions of her well-grounded sense of self and personal calling to make use of her life.”

Leah Martinez begins college this year with a goal to become a cosmetic dermatologist while also studying neurology. Leah says of her future plans, “I intend to gain clinical research experience all while exploring many areas of science. My dream is to practice medicine here and provide access to all.”