Martinez’s Path to Passion for Higher Ed

Rachael Martinez ’26 was a sophomore when she took a course that changed everything.

Up until that point, the Chandler, Ariz., native knew she wanted to play Colgate Volleyball while majoring in peace and conflict studies. Anything beyond that was for her to discover as she worked on her degree.

That’s when Martinez signed up for the American School (EDUC 101) class, which is part of Colgate’s educational studies program. The course provides students with a broad overview of U.S. education.

It proved to be an eye-opening experience for Martinez, who began to imagine a future as a college administrator. Now, for the first time, she had a clear idea of how she wanted to use her Colgate education.

“It’s kind of crazy how you can take a class and it can strike a chord with you and really resonate with you,” she said.

“A lot of the themes that I was seeing in the class about access and opportunity and what it’s like being in college and how to take advantage of these resources and support systems really resonated with my own personal story in education,” she said.

From that point on, Martinez began to load up on education courses while staying with peace and conflict studies, an interdisciplinary program that allowed her to pursue her new interest without changing majors.

Along the way, she added psychological and brain sciences as a second major because she wanted to further challenge herself. 

As Martinez continued on her new path toward a career in higher education, she experienced inspiration yet again, thanks to her fulfilling experience at Colgate.

“It’s my long-term goal to come back and one day be the president of Colgate,” she said. “Colgate, for me, has been so special after leaving Arizona and finding my second home, whether it’s on the volleyball team or with my professors and support staff. So, I want to give back to education the way it has supported me.”

Since embarking on her college career in the fall of 2022, Martinez’s personal story is one of success. She’s flourished in everything she’s done — whether it’s contributing to the success of Colgate Volleyball or excelling in the classroom.

And despite her talents and work ethic, she credits the people around her — professors, coaches, teammates, and the Colgate community — for her achievements.

While volleyball and two majors have kept Martinez busy, she still found time to pursue other interests to maximize her college experience.

Her summers were spent interning at law firms or teaming up with Colgate alumni Kurt Wright ’81 to launch College Career Action, a not-for-profit organization that aims to eliminate barriers that prevent students from seeking a college education.

Plus, she’s found time for clubs on campus. She’s a co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She’s an ambassador for the Women’s Network at Colgate, and serves as a career ambassador for the volleyball team.

Her passion for every endeavor she tackles has made it easier to balance her many obligations.

“It never feels like a job,” she said. “It’s something I’m excited to do every day. I love wearing different hats on campus.”

Now as a senior, Martinez is taking a few legal writing courses and writing her peace and conflict studies thesis. Her project will focus on the emergence of peace studies in North America and how it developed and evolved at Colgate.

After Colgate, she wants to study educational policy at a graduate school. Then she wants to pursue a JD and a PhD in educational policy.

“My college experience has been beyond words the best,” she said. “I have learned and grown so much as a person and student here. Looking back at my freshman year, I could never have imagined that education would be what I’m so passionate about.”

‘WHAT WE DO IS NOT NORMAL’

When Martinez was searching for a college, she knew she wanted to study at a top academic school somewhere on the East Coast.

She had never before set foot in that region of the country, but she continued with her search, looking in different high-academic conferences including the Patriot League.

Colgate Volleyball head coach Ryan Baker made a quick impression on Martinez starting with their first phone call.

“As soon as I got on the phone with Ryan Baker, I could tell he was genuine,” she said. “He was someone who cared about his players more than volleyball. From the moment I spoke to him, I knew I wanted to come to Colgate.”

The COVID pandemic prevented Martinez from visiting Colgate, so she relied on a video call with Baker to see the campus. She committed to Colgate on the spot, a few months before the Raiders went on to win their first conference championship since 2012.

When Martinez arrived at Colgate a year later, she would experience something student-athletes seldom see — playing for a dynasty. The Raiders won conference championships in her first three years, with Martinez seeing regular action as a libero.

In the process, she’s made the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll twice, along with the Raiders academic honor roll on two occasions.

Now, in her final year, Martinez hopes to wrap up her Colgate career with one more championship.

Martinez said she’s grateful for the opportunity to play for the Raiders and knows the program’s success is a rare feat. 

“Something Coach Baker says is, ‘What we do is not normal,’” Martinez said.

Her experience with the team has provided thrills and opportunities to play on the national stage. It has also helped her develop special bonds with her teammates and coaches.

“Volleyball has been so rewarding through all the ups and downs,” she said. “Whether it’s getting an ace to win a match or waking up early for a lift after a loss. They are the people I go to.”

In addition, playing for Baker has been everything she thought it would be since their first phone call — and more. Not only has Baker been a coach and mentor, but also an inspirational figure.

“Playing for Ryan is one of the most empowering and rewarding experiences of my entire life,” she said. “After games or practices, he’ll come up to us and say, ‘You must hold your head high. You are strong women of Colgate Volleyball. You can do anything you put your mind to.’”

And that’s precisely what Martinez has done, as she navigates through her final year at Colgate before continuing on her path toward a career in higher education.

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