Edwin Martinez

Growing up in the Bronx, Edwin Martinez ’01 loved nothing better than tagging along with his uncle, a superintendent, on repair jobs. “I thought that was the most awesome job,” he recalls, “but my uncle encouraged me to aspire to do, and be, more.”

That experience was the start of the journey that eventually led him to Gateway Community College and his current position as a manufacturing engineer at Space-Craft Manufacturing, a New-Haven based aerospace company.

When Edwin was 11 years old, his widowed mother moved him and his sister to New Haven. He  graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in 1996. “Like most 17-year-olds, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life,” Edwin said. “All I knew is that it would require a college education.”

“I read just about every Gateway pamphlet. When I came across the one about Manufacturing Engineering Technology, I knew right away—this is it!”  Edwin credits the financial aid he received with enabling him to continue his college experience at Gateway, where became involved with several student groups, including the Black Student Union and the Organization of Latin American Students, and was elected president of the Student Government Association.

“Like most 17-year-olds, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.  All I knew is that it would require a college education.”

Edwin Martinez

After earning an associate degree in 2001, he continued his education journey at Central Connecticut State University. He remains an active member of the New Haven community, serving on the New Haven Youth Commission Board and on the Executive Board of FLECHAS Inc., a cultural organization that promotes the African influence on Puerto Rican culture.

The first in his family to attend college, Edwin credits Gateway with helping him build the foundation for the success he’s achieved. “I’m grateful to the College for providing me with an outstanding education and a promising future.”