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New Secretary Lori Martinez is not entirely new to Rotary, having been a member of the Rochester Latino and Northwest Clubs. She opened with her memories of singing at the 2010 District Conference in Albany. As part of a small ensemble directed by then-DG Mark Wyse, she dedicated Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On” to then-Rotary International President Bill Boyd on the occasion of his 35th wedding anniversary. She said, “The next thing I knew, Bill Boyd was running across the room with his arms outstretched and he got me in a bear hug.” At this time, Lori was not yet able to answer the question, “Why Rotary?” She observed, “Bill Boyd, who had come all the way from New Zealand, definitely understood the sharing of my passion for singing as an act of Service Above Self.” Lori was candid about her “rocky start” in Rotary, “not only because I was inducted before I had a full understanding of the Club, but also due to my precarious professional situation.” As a self-proclaimed “Road Scholar” teaching at as many as four area colleges, she found it difficult to practice Service Above Self. She also admitted to being overly exuberant about both musical performance and expressing herself in Spanish, being told point blank that singing at the District Conference “was a one-time thing, and then it was back to fundraising and charitable projects.” Lori is not a native Spanish speaker. In fact, she is Italian-American, first studied French, and and did not learn Spanish until later in life. Some Club members were surprised to learn not only this but also that she is self-taught in Spanish. Lori spent 12 years in Paris, France, where she “earned a Doctoral degree in Comparative Literature.” However, “the job market was glutted with Liberal Arts majors.” For this reason, Lori taught College English as an adjunct instructor to first-year domestic students and then to international students. At the beginning of her career, she rediscovered her hometown along with her students through two learning communities that featured walking tours and field trips. Lori informed everyone that “African Roots, Rochester Offshoots retraced the Underground Railroad and included a visit of the Susan B. Anthony House” and the religious studies learning community involved a breaking of the fast at the Islamic Center of Rochester during Ramadan. One of many memorable remarks by her students was, “I feel terrible that these folks have gone without food all day and our culture is so food-oriented!” After transitioning to teaching international students and drawing on her own experiences abroad, Lori acknowledged, “I don’t know how much English my students actually learned,” and, “I think I enjoyed the cultural trips, not to mention singing for the end-of-quarter celebrations, more than the rudiments of grammar and pronunciation.” She discussed the pitfalls and pratfalls of trying to get her reluctant students to participate in class and reflected on how “I had become a caricature of my own culture.” This instance of self-criticism informed her next career moves as well as developments in her personal life. She discovered that it would be better for her to use the language to serve others rather than teach English. Lori acquired Spanish because of the lack of professional opportunities for French interpreters or professors. She stated, “I had decided to teach myself Spanish, and by 2011 I was proficient enough to become a medical and community interpreter.” Then when Rochester Sister Cities and Rochester Northwest Rotary called on her to be an interpreter and guide for the inbound firefighters’ delegation from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (Rochester’s Sister City since 1997), she got more than she bargained for. Lori quipped, “I don’t know of any bylaws either in Rotary or Sister Cities that prohibit falling in love with one of the members of the delegation. . . but I may have flouted some unspoken protocol.” Lori and her husband Pedro Manuel, who is from Puerto Plata, were married in December 2014. Eager to become an advocate for her Spanish-speaking clients beyond the interpreter’s role, Lori started her second career as a Care Manager with Rochester Regional Health. The November 2017 Bienvenidos Project designed to connect Hurricane Maria evacuees with health and social services was her “baptism by fire.” Her third career pivot into Family Navigation was inspired by her desire to “combine case management and promoting academic success into a harmonious whole.” She jokingly credited the Irondequoit Rotary for contributing to her progress: “I should have put down on my resume that I went for a walk with the Durand Trail Committee and didn’t fall on my face!” The answer to the “Why Rotary?” question has come after much trial and error and has meant channeling passions into service such as leading the opening songs, participating in the Vocal Contest Steering Committee, and taking notes as Club Secretary to learn about Rotary activities. Lori looks forward to her International Fall Friendship New Member Project with Rochester Global Connections and possibly still being mistaken for an international visitor. Lori’s professional church musician position at Blessed Sacrament Church came about after 10 years of volunteering in the music ministry (not a performance, she specified, but a ministry). The Eastman graduate student who hired her was looking for a community member who worked in one of the helping professions. Lori describes her singing style as one that “would appeal to operagoers or fans of salsa, merengue and bachata who don’t mind a blend of genres.” After all the self-deprecating humor, Lori has come to the conclusion that “you have to earn your right to tell your story.” |
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