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Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy n Dr. Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D. One of the many impactful actions leaders do is cultivate a vibrant organization. Great leaders do this by encouraging others to be their absolute best and focusing on individual talent strengths. Great leaders lead the way by example and by demonstrating what is possible. Employees show up in workspaces and bring the many facets of their lives, including family values, belief systems, individual goals, and aspirations. A leader can make or break the environment and holds positional influence over employees. While leaders are responsible for productivity, they also drive the human spirit. As a member of an organization, stepping through the door into their work environment can be refreshing or traumatic. Everyone has a story and has gained experiences in the midst of navigating life, and while some make it through different challenges, the process takes resilience and determination. Dr. Robert Martinez, Ed.D. is known as Resiliency Guy. He is an educator of over 30 years, serving in many positions,
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including School Psychologist, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and is a current Superintendent. He experienced the traumatic loss of his mother, which significantly impacted his secure family unit during a vulnerable time in his life. Dr. Martinez stated, “When I was thirteen, my mother was taken by the dreaded cancer beast. This loss sent ripples of crisis through my family and impacted my father greatly.” A year and a half after his mother’s passing, Dr. Martinez recalled an additional change to the family structure as his father remarried. This loss and change in his family dynamics resulted in Dr. Martinez leaving home at an early age. Dr. Martinez stated, “I never really felt included in his new family. I left home at the age of sixteen, during my junior year of high school.” Dr. Martinez went to live with his brother, who provided him with comfort and relief. Dr. Martinez persevered and learned to navigate his way through whatever challenges he faced by maintaining a positive outlook and setting goals, stating, “Through the years the challenges that presented themselves to me were never seen as
impossible, and I continued to move forward. I know that this internal resilience was built from family, love, lessons, and, yes, personal growth.” Dr. Martinez went on to share, “the name, “Resiliency Guy” just stuck. I have since focused my education, professional growth, and support of others through the theme of resilience, and I truly believe that we can all create environments for children where their resilience can flourish.” When asked what advice he would have given to his 15-year-old self, he stated, “Look ahead, keep moving forward, serve others, and good things will come to you.” Dr. Martinez went on to share, “At 15, I was a mess. I had practically dropped out of school, was depressed, didn’t see a future that might unfold in front of me, and was working at surviving in a difficult home situation.” Change is inevitable. We can either grow and evolve or remain the same as we were while everything around us changes. Dr. Martinez sees value in personal growth and the potential in others. Dr. Martinez stated, “In my opinion, a person has the inherent ability to transform many times, and it is
