The Martinez family has had a long line of members that have come through SHS. It all started when Jose Arizpe came through SHS in the early 2000s and is still being continued to this day by his nephew, Rey Martinez.
As junior Rey Martinez roams the halls, he faces the challenge of continuing a family legacy that has helped change the fabric and culture of SHS as a whole while also creating his own journey.
Sometimes Rey felt pressure from following in his family’s footsteps and oftentimes would just be known as one of “Carman’s kids.” However he is still proud to continue the Martinez legacy.
“Being known as the younger siblings and being known as (their) brother instead of them actually knowing my name,” Martinez said.
After Arizpe came through, the chain continued through Antonio Cortes, Martinez’s oldest brother, who was the first of Martinez’s immediate family to attend SHS until he graduated in 2014.
Between Cortes and Martinez, five of their other siblings have graduated from SHS, including Bertha in 2018, Juan in 2019, Maria in 2021, Marianna in 2023 and Ramon in 2024.
Having had many siblings come through SHS in the past, Martinez believes that it had benefits for him when he entered high school.
“I feel like it is a good thing, because I (did) know a lot of people and teachers and the staff (coming) into school freshman year,” Martinez said. “It was good, (and) I felt comfortable.”
For the older siblings, knowing that they were in the same school gave them a sense of normalcy, as they were already used to each other.
“Going to school with my siblings felt more like home,” Bertha said. “At times, it didn’t feel like we were at school.”
Though his family set a path for him in the classroom, they also set the tone on the field.
All of the Martinez siblings who have gone to SHS have played a sport at the varsity level, including baseball, softball, basketball, football, soccer and volleyball.
Ramon is the only one that has played sports in college. He is currently a right handed pitcher at Marian University after having 48 strikeouts in his high school career.
One thing that the family can share is their love for sports.
“My siblings and I all share an interest in similar sports,” Marianna said, “which we bond over a lot.”
Even though a few of them have been out of high school for a few years, sometimes they feel like jumping in and playing again.
For each of them, they can still remember what they felt like when their family showed up to one of their games.
“It was nerve-racking and motivating, because I just wanted to play my best game for them,” Maria said. “I loved their support and knew they would always be there.”
As the siblings graduated, they still come back and support their younger siblings.
As Martinez becomes a senior, he will have the opportunity to keep the chain rolling as his younger sister, Angelina, will be attending SHS in the fall.
He will be able to pass the torch of a family legacy that will thrive through the hallways for future generations of SHS students.