Alejandro Martinez at The Bridge during our fundraising tournament in September.
Alejandro Martinez is a 15-year-old freshman at the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem and lives with his mom in the Bronx. He recently fielded some questions from Charlie Hanger, the digital content manager for our Foundation and Learning Center.
CH: What careers are you considering?
AM: I’ve thought about becoming a pediatrician because I like helping kids. Also, a marine biologist. It would be cool to swim with the fish, study their environment and help make the ocean a safe habitat.
CH: What’s your favorite part of what we do at the Foundation?
AM: Character education because it involves us more; it really puts us in the lesson. Recently we’ve been talking about masculinity, and stereotypes of what men do and how they’re supposed to act. That stuck with me because I see it on a day-to-day basis. Like in school, when guys call other guys names. They say it because they don’t know how to express their feelings. After our character ed lessons, they just sound ignorant to me.
CH: How’s your golf game?
AM: Honestly, it’s not great. The long game is the hardest part for me. Putting is the best part of my game.
CH: What are you into outside of school and our after school program?
AM: I like watching sports and playing video games – NBA2K and Overwatch. I like the NBA and the Toronto Raptors because of DeMar DeRozan. I’ve been following him since the 2013 season. And I’m a hardcore Yankees fan. I don’t watch every game because they’re on a lot, but I pay attention to players, who’s injured, who’s starting, how they’re doing. I go to a lot of games because tickets are cheap, about once every two weeks in the summer.
CH: Does your mom watch any games with you?
AM: She’s into any team I’m into and tries to support me by rooting for the same teams, especially the Yankees.
CH: Tell me about the goals you established with your Bigger Pie mentor?
AM: Academically, my goal was to make an 85 average in marking period 2, and I already did it. My personal goal is to apply for a Sponsors for Educational Opportunity program. My career goal was to take a tour of the medical school at Columbia University, where my mom works. I’ve already done that, and it was really interesting. I saw a dead body and their simulation center, where they have high-tech dummies for the students to practice on.
CH: What are your favorite experiences since joining the program?
AM: I really liked the trip to Google. The interactive displays there were really cool. I also like it when we visit The Bridge. I like the view of the water.
CH: I think you’re the first student to mention The Bridge without talking about the food.
AM: Oh yeah, the food! That might be the best part.