Kathleen Martinez has always loved school, particularly STEM subjects. But shortly after having a baby boy at age 16, she made the difficult decision to leave high school. When she learned that The Care Center had a GED program and a daycare, she signed up right away.
Today, Kathleen has a bachelor of science degree in biotechnology from Northeastern University and works at a pharmaceutical company. But the road to success wasn’t always easy. As a new mom facing uncertainty, she remembers thinking, “I’m going to push myself for my son.”
It didn’t take long for Kathleen to find her groove at The Care Center. Just a couple of weeks after starting classes, her counselor Maria encouraged her to take the GED exam. Kathleen was unsure about taking the test so soon, but Maria gave her the courage to go for it. Kathleen was thrilled to learn that she passed with exceptional scores.
Kathleen’s College and Career Path
After graduating from The Care Center, Kathleen worked as a dental assistant and then as a patient advocate in the emergency room. While she enjoyed helping people, she wanted to give back in a different way, so she decided to continue her education.
She went on to earn an associate degree in biotechnology from Quincy College, graduating with a 4.0. From there, she earned a B.S. in biotechnology from Northeastern University with high honors in 2023. Along the way, she won several scholarships from the Stephen Schneider STEM Scholarship fund administered by The Care Center. Today, she is employed at a pharmaceutical company and enjoys the challenge of working on new medicines with the potential to improve and save lives.
Life Today
Kathleen’s son is now 17 years old and a talented football player. He’s taking AP courses in high school with plans to play football in college.
She credits her fiancé, whom she met at age 19, for being a major supporter as they both pursued ambitious career goals. Their ten-year-old daughter, whom Kathleen affectionately calls “Ms. Personality,” loves to cook and try new things.
Adding to the list of accomplishments, Kathleen and her fiancé recently became homeowners. When the busy family has a rare moment of downtime, Kathleen says they just enjoy being together, “cooking and trying new recipes as a family.”
