Jonathan Martinez

Quietly teasing, Jonathan (Jon-Jon) Martinez never fails to put a smile on people’s faces. His quirky behavior helps him connect with people in and out of school.

Jon-Jon’s main goal in life is to achieve happiness. Jon-Jon believes that happiness is key when it comes to living life to the fullest, helping his mental health, and improving his social skills. This can help him as he pursues his dream of becoming a psychiatrist.

“I feel excited because it’s like starting fresh,” Jonathan said about graduating from high school. “It’s basically a restart button for my educational academic career, plus an opportunity to make new connections with other people.”

Jonathan has received support from many of his teachers, but he especially appreciates the support from his advisor and SRI teacher, Jaya Subramanian. Jaya said that Jonathan is a hardworking student who comes to class on time and eager to learn. His presence in class helps bring life to the minds of other students, she said.

“He is quirky and has a great sense of humor,” Jaya said. “However, when he sets his mind to work, he does it well.”

Jonathan has faced many obstacles during high school, among them learning to talk with people he doesn’t know. He overcame this by going out of his way to talk to other students, especially when doing school projects. During 7th period, Jonathan takes Strength & Conditioning, and he finds it another way to talk with students he doesn’t usually see as much, while also getting in shape physically and mentally.

“In Strength & Conditioning, I feel more confident in myself,” Jonathan said. “The elective also teaches me to set more goals for myself and that the results come later. I have to be patient with results.”

Jonathan feels prepared to leave the stress of high school behind as he heads for De Anza College to major in Psychology.