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Nina Martinez

Storyteller & Copy Editor 


Austin, Texas

who?

Nina Martinez is a Tejana storyteller and copy editor based out of Austin, Texas.

Raised in the sweet town of Sugar Land, Texas, Martinez developed a love for history and storytelling, which led her to her love of writing. Martinez is a recent graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin where she earned her BA in Writing and Rhetoric, specializing in journalism.

During her four years in college, she implemented her passions in her work, chronicling and working with locals to tell their stories. Along with reporting at her university’s newspaper, she also served as editor-in-chief and a copy editor for the publication.

She learned from the talented writers and editors at Texas Monthly as an editorial intern, reporting and writing two state-based stories and shadowing the copyediting team, and interviewing one woman who played an essential part in Texas History.

When she’s not writing, she's playing with her sweet pup, Fitzgerald (after F. Scott Fitzgerald), or riding her bike down the streets of Austin.

published works

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St. Edward's University •

How Transferring to the Hilltop Rekindled Sam McFarland’s Love for Film

St. Edward’s University was the first college Sam McFarland '25 toured as a kid from Houston. After spending two semesters at the University of Colorado Boulder as a film studies major, McFarland grew tired of the cold, so he returned to the state and enrolled as a transfer student studying Communication on the hilltop. McFarland always had a knack for creating, and he felt sure that he’d be in a career that reflected his creativity. “Game of Thrones” inspired him to make short films. But after...

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St. Edward's University •

Texas Ecology Course Prepares Future Naturalists to Protect the State’s Environments

Associate Professor of Environmental Science Amy Concillio designed the Texas Ecology course for the Environmental Science and Policy major to guide students to take the information from class and apply it to their future careers. This was not the first time Dr. Concillio developed a course inspired by her own academic journey—where she gained a lot of knowledge, but lacked the guidance of how to plug these skills into the real world—she previously created the Natural Resources Conservation and...

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St. Edward's University •

Birdwatching and Environmental Science Thrive at St. Edward’s

The current president of the club, Iman Haddad ‘27, picked up the torch from Conner and Postiglione after getting involved with the club and hearing about it through Fletcher’s Ornithology course. Through birding, students like Haddad have gained invaluable leadership skills—she also learned that her favorite birds are water birds, specifically the Roseate Spoonbill. Aside from gaining knowledge and an appreciation for the local bird species in Central Texas and beyond, Dr. Fletcher’s larger goa...

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St. Edward's University •

A Career in Bee Conservation

Like many students, Gabriella Pardee, Ph.D., started her journey at the University of Toledo with an “undecided” major. After a year and a half of exploring a variety of fields, Pardee took an Introduction to Environmental Science course which spearheaded her career in ecological research. Her newly declared major in environmental science required students to have two credits of a second language. After studying Spanish for most of her life, she decided to add the language as a second major, pre...

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St. Edward's University •

This Wild Basin Internship Opened Career Paths in Environmental Science

Growing up as a Girl Scout sparked Maya Soojhai's '23 interest in the outdoors; and after taking an environmental science class her senior year of high school, Soojhai was ready to explore the field closer. From a small high school in San Antonio, she was drawn to St. Edward’s University for its campus, class sizes and ideal distance from home.Like many students who started in 2019, COVID-19 interrupted Soojhai’s semester and her plans to study abroad; but it also pushed her to spend more time o...

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St. Edward's University •

Ecological Research and Fieldwork Through the Hook Fellowship

Allan Hook, Ph.D. spent 25 years teaching evolutionary biology at St. Edward’s University. His time researching and exploring the world led to multiple bylines of published research and three species of insects — Nemomydas hooki (fly), and two, solitary wasps—Solerella hooki and Pseudopolis hooki. In 2007, while at St. Edward's University, he roamed into the office of Career Manager Rosemary Guzman, where he met his future wife. After multiple dates, Hook finally won her over doing what he does...

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St. Edward's University •

St. Edward's & Wild Basin: A Continued Partnership in Support of Environmental Education and Research in Austin

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve is Austin’s first nature preserve, founded in 1976, that protects 227 acres of the Texas Hill Country located right off of Capital of Texas Highway and just 10 miles from St. Edward’s University.In the 1970s, seven trailblazing women, known as the “Founding Mothers of Wild Basin” from the environmental group Now or Never, sought to preserve a local area to educate young students, train teachers, and host science classes. After the city drafted the master plan for W...

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St. Edward's University •

Growing a Public Relations Career with a SXSW Internship Success

Aside from preparing the logistics for volunteer events, Rodriguez and a sessions manager also brainstormed a new way to communicate with their 300 plus volunteers. Instead of sending out pages of information to volunteers, Rodriguez learned new softwares to create interactive emails to help each crew prepare for their event. This kind of creativity is what SXSW hopes interns can bring to the table to help this renowned event run smoothly. “The roles our interns play leading up to and during SXS...

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St. Edward's University •

Creating Space for Latina Scholars in Higher Education | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

While Bianca Neal was earning her doctorate in Leadership and Higher Education at St. Edward’s, she participated in a course: Leadership in the 21st Century: Current Trends, Emerging Possibilities. She learned that her singular experience as an isolated Latina in higher education was tied to a much broader issue. As documented by the , only 3% of post-secondary educators are Latina.

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St. Edward's University •

Activating Artwork With Unique Perspective | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

At just four-years old, Michael Sharod Houston ‘23 was perfecting his drawing skills during church as he sat in the pew and sketched out roses. He was always drawn to animations that teach and make people feel good. Children’s animations like Arthur and other PBS Kids shows spoke to him because it’s something the whole family can enjoy and learn from together. As he grew older, he continued drawing and his signature mark became the lead smudges over his sketches.

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St. Edward's University •

Four Recent St. Edward's Alumni Further Studies at Yale, Notre Dame, Boston College | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

Pursuing multiple passions often feels exciting, daunting and sometimes impossible. With endless support and guidance from faculty and peers at St. Edward’s, those dreams become achievable. Here are four recent alumni who are following their own interdisciplinary paths by exercising their spiritual growth and mastering their crafts at three prestigious graduate schools.

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St. Edward's University •

Catholic Studies, Writing & Rhetoric Alumna furthers Theological Studies at Boston College | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

As a writer, dancer, and theologian, Calista Robledo ‘22 wears many hats—and she wears them well. Robledo graduated from St. Edward’s with two bachelor degrees in Writing and Rhetoric and Catholic Studies. She ministered and guided fellow students as a Spiritual Development Coordinator for Campus Ministry and wrote for student publications like New Literati and The Sorin Oak Review. Whether it was through an engaging play she wrote and directed, content she created for the Holy Cross Institute, or simply from a classroom discussion, Robledo’s creativity was always apparent to those around her. After graduation, she channeled her creativity by teaching little ones the foundation of dance at her childhood dance school in Weslaco, Texas.

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St. Edward's University •

How Theology is Helping this Future Lawyer Connect with Clients | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

Dafne Villanueva ‘22 was studying for the LSAT when she received a message from Dr. Kelley Coblentz Bautch, professor and department chair of religious studies at St. Edward’s, about divinity school applications. Because of the encouragement and support from faculty, she applied to both Harvard and Yale and decided to pursue divinity school first. Divinity school educates students in scripture and theology, and prepares them to serve as clergy, in academics or in ministry.

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St. Edward's University •

Equipping an Educational Leader through a Shared Mission | St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas

When Sierra Garcia crossed the graduation stage in May 2023, she had no idea she’d soon be living in a coastal Texas town with five strangers who shared a common interest. But now, when she gets home from teaching 6th and 7th grade science in Corpus Christi, she hangs out with her housemates, who also teach at Catholic schools in town. Garcia is a part of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a prestigious teaching fellowship at fellow Holy Cross school, The University of Notre Dame.

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Texas Monthly •

Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Is Still Marching at 96

Opal Lee first made national headlines in 2016, when the then-89-year-old walked more than 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., in a campaign to convince lawmakers to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday (a designation it finally received in 2021). Seven years after her historic walk, Lee’s activism continues to make news. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and this year was honored as the second Black woman to have her portrait hung in the Texas Senate chamber.

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Hilltop Views •

Councilmember Ryan Alter’s first resolution combats affordable off-campus housing for college students

Ryan Alter, Austin’s District 5 city council member, authored his first resolution in support of affordable student housing. The resolution was approved with amendments at the city council meeting on Feb. 23. “I’m excited this is my first council agenda item,” Alter said. “I believe it’s an incredibly important issue for our city.” The resolution directs the Austin City Manager and the city’s College Student Commission to create ways for students to affordably live close to their college campu

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Hilltop Views •

It’s On Us, Uber collaboration brings safety materials, incentives to the Hilltop

Students can find easy links to the resources provided by visiting the St. Edward’s It’s On Us Instagram page. The Uber newsroom announced a rideshare safety campaign on Jan. 27 in collaboration with the national organization It’s On Us to bring rideshare safety education to campuses across the country. Uber and It’s On Us selected 10 college campuses to receive safety tips and an incentive for the month of February. St. Edward’s University was one of the campuses selected for the campaign. “

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Hilltop Views •

Recent resolution recognizes “St. Edward’s University Day”, marks continuation of university’s five-year plan

A resolution recognizing Feb. 9 as “St. Edward’s University Day” was adopted by Texas lawmakers. During a House and Senate session on Feb. 8 in the Texas State Capitol, university and student leaders gathered in the chamber to witness the achievement. “I feel incredibly excited,” university President Monterrat Fuentes said. “It’s wonderful to see that appreciation and recognition from the community.” House Resolution 93 places strong emphasis on the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity

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Texas Monthly •

Let the Good Times Roll at These Texas Mardi Gras Parties

My first Mardi Gras memory happened when I was just five years old. I went to Catholic school in Houston, and in 2006, when I was in kindergarten, I gained a new friend, who’d fled New Orleans with his family after Hurricane Katrina. To help Christian and all the other newcomers feel at home, our school organized a parade around the rose garden in front of the church. We crowded the street in our purple, gold, and green gear, eager to catch beads. A few years later, at age ten, I got to attend a

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