Neha Kulkarni

Mr. Martinak’s life is a story of accomplishment, exploration, and most importantly, humor. After having a conversation with Mr. Martinak, I learned a lot about him as a teacher, and even more about him as a person. Mr. Martinak’s immense passion for the very distinct things he is interested in helps him correlate specific events from his life to his lessons, and he often does so in the classroom.

Mr. Martinak teaches history at JP Stevens, primarily World History. He has remained very dedicated to his job, saying that his life-long passion for history is what drives him. He also accredits his love for teaching to his students. He said that he sees his students as his children, and wants to see thems succeed the same way he wants to see his own children succeed. Mr. Martinak’s teaching style differs from many conventional methods; he aims to focus on the smaller and more personal details in order to relate to students. This helps them better grasp a subject matter when they can relate it to their own lives. A major part of the Mr. Martinak experience is his bottomless supply of witty humor, his hilarious stories, and even the occasional historical debate. Being an open minded person, Mr. Martinak embraces the multiple perspectives, beliefs and mindsets he finds in his classroom and works to create a space where everyone feels safe to share. He wants his students to never lose sight of themselves no matter where life takes them, as he constantly emphasizes the importance of individualism and not following the direction of others just for the sake of it. He loves his students, and states that “the fresh minds that surround [him] are what make [his] job so enjoyable.” 

He said that he owes this job, alongside many other aspects of his life solely to luck. Mr. Martinak started college later than most since he was in the military. Upon starting at college, he found himself in awe of theater and formed close friendships with both the cast and crew. He said “I don’t know why they accepted me. I never did anything like (theater) before, but they included me and it opened up doors for me, not just in theater, but in life and the way to look at things and the way to appreciate art.”  He said without luck, he wouldn’t have made those lifelong friends, and in turn, he would not be the person he is today. Through becoming friends with the theater crew, Mr. Martinak learned to be more social, and found a new group of people to spend time with. This interest in theater never eroded over the years; Mr. Martinak still holds theater arts closely to his heart, with him even being part of a troupe!

When he was asked about a piece of advice he would offer his students, he responded saying that everyone should “live their own life.” He said he understands that many students deal with pressure coming from their parents or friends, but students should learn to follow their own goals and dreams, since it is your own life, and not your parents’. He said “When parents see their children happy, they care more about that than anything else. So don’t ever forget it’s your life. Live it the way you want.” Mr. Martinak surely lived his life the way he wanted, and it brought him much happiness, fulfillment, and success.