As the newest member of the World Language Department, Spanish teacher Emely Martinez is teaching both Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 courses this year. Originally from nearby Justice, Martinez has always stayed pretty close to home. She attended Trinity High School in River Forest and Saint Xavier University in Chicago where she majored in Spanish and Secondary Education. 

Martinez chose to begin her teaching career at Nazareth because she shares a lot of the same values and beliefs that the school holds. As she recalls her childhood, she said, “I was taught a lot of the things that are being taught here at Naz, so I found myself to feel right at home.” Martinez added, “I enjoy being able to see my values from a different perspective and teach other people that I was in their shoes not too long ago.” 

She finds the sharing of Nazareth’s core beliefs to be rewarding, watching them influence the lives of those around her. Her favorite thing about Nazareth is the welcoming environment. Her first impression was that everyone is very nice and super helpful and respectful. She says it’s a good community to be a part of. 

In her free time, Martinez enjoys staying active. This is a passion she shares with her family, as she and her two younger sisters are involved in sports. On top of that, Martinez coaches girls volleyball at Nazareth and occasionally enjoys working out or doing something physical with her friends. Athletics alongside academics is nothing new to Martinez who played softball and volleyball growing up.