Martinez Family

The Martinez family believes it is human connection that has strengthened their family ties to Texas Wesleyan. Joe Martinez '56, his daughter, Veronica '81 and sons, Tim '83 and Joe Ralph '89, all received degrees from the University. "Between having family enrolled and Tim working on campus for several years," Veronica said, "we have been able to maintain a great relationship with Wesleyan." Joe Ralph, a past president of the Alumni Association and past reunion committee members, and Tim are still very active with Lambda Chi, and Veronica has also served on the alumni board and alumni reunion committee. "We are always ready to recruit new students or try to bring alumni back to the school and get the word out," Joe added.

Joe Martinez recalls attending his first class at Wesleyan in 1953 on a hot September day. He was drawn to Wesleyan because of its intimacy and the friendliness of the teachers and other students. His campus experiences influenced his children and several family members when the time came for them to choose an institution of higher education.

Since that steamy day in 1953, Joe and his wife, Helen, have sent all three of their children to Wesleyan. In addition, their nephews, Greg Reyero '94 and Marco Barretto '03 and nieces, Michelle Reyero '89 and Lupe Barreto '89, also chose Wesleyan when they were ready for college.

Joe insisted that he did not intentionally influence his children to attend Wesleyan; they just seemed to gravitate to the school. "Our children were able to live at home, attend Texas Wesleyan and work to help pay the tuition," he said. Veronica stated that it was Wesleyan's reputation that convinced her to enroll. "The small classes, closeness to home, financial aid and the excellent School of Education were the factors that influenced me," she said.

When family members share an educational experience, a special bond often develops among them. "When we talk about Texas Wesleyan," Joe said, "we make comparisons regarding buildings, teachers, programs, etc." They talk about the diversity of the curriculum and how Wesleyan reaches out to the community. That outreach has been an important factor in their continued support of Wesleyan.

Will the Martinez family legacy continue at Wesleyan? There seems to be no doubt. Whenever young people in the family or commmunity are making their decision about what college to attend, they will definitley receive the message from the Martinezes about Wesleyan and its fine programs. The Wesleyan heritage they promote will undoubtedly be a strong influence on the next generation of Marintezes.

So where are they now? Joe Ralph serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals; Tim is the Community Relations Manager at Legacy Community Health Services in Houston and Veronica Vasquez is the 2010-2011 W.J. Turner Elementary School Teacher of the Year! The Martinez family's support is greatly appreciated and we wish them continued success!