Story #28: Hector Martinez & Roxanne Aga
As a fifth grade student at Vermont Elementary School in the 90’s, Hector Martinez struggled to read aloud. Often confusing his b’s and his d’s, being called on by his teachers was a stressful experience. That is, until being paired with a tutor from J-E-P.
Roxanne Aga ‘00 was assigned as Martinez’s reading tutor during her sophomore year at USC.
Right away, she saw a drive and passion in him that separated him from the other students she worked with. Before long, Martinez went from being scared to read out loud to becoming an avid reader and lover of literature.
“My big thing was reading,” Martinez told USC News. “Roxanne was assigned as my tutor. Now books are a big part of my life.”
In fact, Aga introduced him to some of his favorite books. Even today, years after his tutoring ended, he still loves to read. He enjoys the works of existentialist writers Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Franz Kafka. In his free time, he writes poetry. Martinez credits a large part of both his intellectual and personal growth to Aga.
Aga also feels the same way about Martinez.
I knew he was different than the other kids.” Aga said to USC News. “I couldn’t let that go.”
And indeed, she didn’t. Like his love of reading, Martinez’s relationship with Aga didn’t end when the tutoring did. Him and Aga have a lifelong friendship that continues to this day.
Throughout his childhood, Aga took Martinez to museums, theme parks, and other attractions surrounding the Los Angeles area. They also got to know each other’s families, with Martinez’s mother and Aga striking up a friendship over the years.
But above all, Martinez says Aga taught him the importance of community service and giving back.
Aga, who is now a doctor, has volunteered medical aid to underserved communities in developing and impoverished countries around the world. She also has previously interned at the World Health Organization at the Department of HIV/AIDS. But despite Aga’s global travels, J-E-P instilled in her the importance of making a difference in your local community.
“But I’ll tell you one thing. I never want to lose that local connection. I want to work wherever I can have a direct impact on people’s lives” she added.
Along with the rest of us, Aga’s humanitarian work has also inspired Martinez to give back.
“I want to be about making a difference in the world,” he said. “Making a difference like Roxanne does, one person at a time.”