莱斯利·马丁内斯, 空军老兵, 是RCSJ-坎伯兰第四届毕业典礼的旗手.​​

对我们中的许多人来说，在生活中获得平衡是一个具有挑战性的前景. For recent Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) graduate, 莱斯利·马丁内斯, 在经历了许多起起伏伏之后，她试图找到平静，但最终成功了, moments of self-reflection, and acquiring the ability to give herself grace, especially during the toughest of times. 

马丁内斯, a 30-year-old Vineland resident and 空军老兵, was honored for her numerous accomplishments during RCSJ–坎伯兰's 4th Annual 毕业典礼 Ceremony, which took place on May 11. 她, along with Cody McMahan (Army), 代表学院的军事服务项目和RCSJ的2023届毕业生担任毕业典礼的旗手. 

这位主修刑事司法的学生获得了包括全球反恐战争服务奖章在内的多个奖项, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon, and the New Jersey Merit Award Ribbon, 等. 

马丁内斯, 新泽西国民警卫队第177战斗机联队的安全部队成员, 在蛋港, is also a single mother of two children. 在她获得RCSJ学位的过程中，她遇到了太多的障碍. 然而, with courage and determination, she surmounted them all. 

“It's been so many obstacles," said 马丁内斯. “It's hard to navigate through life in general. 对我来说，一个巨大的挑战是学习如何确保我生活的所有领域都得到几乎相同的关注." 

在接受教育的过程中，这位未来的法律专业学生被派往科威特. 她还在2021年的自由哨兵行动中协助阿富汗难民.  

According to 马丁内斯, 她的任务是帮助阿富汗人在战乱中逃离塔利班的魔掌. “They left their country with absolutely nothing," she said. “I was on the planes with them. We were providing them [with] food, fresh water, [and] shelter. We gave the kids diapers, 公式, 瓶, 我们的任务是确保他们至少得到最基本的必需品."

尽管她是在履行她的职责去拯救这个国家的平民, 马丁内斯's deployments, 这是可以理解的, caused a negative impact on her studies. 然而, she did find a way to accentuate the positive.

“我被学校录取了，但我的功课完全不及格，”她承认. “We were on 24-hour ops. I was barely getting any sleep. 但看到所有这些家庭从如此不幸的境地中解脱出来，这是非常值得的. I feel so proud to be a part of that mission." 

马丁内斯, who will continue her academic journey as a participant in RCSJ and Rowan University's innovative 3+1 program她透露了自己经历的一些困难，以及她是如何保持理智的. 

“做一个年轻的妈妈, 有两个孩子, 把注意力放在学业上——放在两份工作之上——真的影响了我的心理健康,马丁内斯说. “Throughout the years, I was my biggest critic. I became very anxious and depressed."

她 then became cognizant of a running dialogue, taking place in her head, that subtly hindered her progress. “I was beating myself up all the time," 马丁内斯 explained. 她 began to ask questions like, “Am I being a good mother?"

“或者，我会挂科，然后说‘我不够好’，谁说你不够好?她沉思着。. “I was beating myself up because I wanted everything to be perfect. It was literally my mind against myself."

在花了大量时间思考自己的处境后，马丁内斯顿悟了. 

“[N]othing in life is perfect. 我不得不告诉自己，‘你不是完美的，每件事都有它自己的时机，’”她总结道. “I feel like once I realized that [and] once I gave myself some grace, 从那时起，一切都开始展开，对我来说一切都开始变得更加顺利." 

马丁内斯 utilized this new, positive mindset; retook the classes she failed and passed them all.

劳拉复活节, 协调员, 军事服务, RCSJ, 是马丁内斯许多苦难和胜利的第一手见证吗.

“莱斯利在忙碌的工作中坚持了下来，同时积极为我们的国家服务,复活节说。, who is in her third year at the College. “Lesley has pushed through her academics and never gave up, no matter how much she had to juggle at one time."

复活节, who had many heart-to-heart talks with 马丁内斯, who described the veteran “as a student with grit, 激情, 和勇气," believes the recent graduate can be an inspiration for all. 

“她 never kept her goals too far out of sight," 复活节 said. “她对完成学位的承诺在那里，我认为这是学生们有时需要提醒的. Hard work does pay off! I sincerely admire her dedication."

马丁内斯, who manages a group of troops – some in their late teens, noted she has made many errors on her life's journey. 然而, she is certain she has learned from her mistakes, and recognizes those mistakes helped strengthen her character. 马丁内斯也乐于与他人分享这些知识，尤其是她的后代.

“I want people to learn from my … mistakes," she said. “I want my children to learn from me. 我在这个世界上唯一的目的就是确保我的孩子比我好100倍. 

“So, 如果这意味着把我的错误都摆到桌面上，让他们学习……不要重蹈我的覆辙, I'm willing to do that. I do that with my troops at work. 我只希望自己能成为一个好榜样，激励周围的人." 

马丁内斯被选为今年rcsj -坎伯兰毕业典礼的旗手，这也是为他人树立好榜样的原因之一. 

“I take such pride [in] being an 空军老兵," she said. “我喜欢成为我所服务的部门的积极代表, but also [for RCSJ]."

马丁内斯 spoke about the respect she has for RCSJ administration, 教师, and staff who helped her during trying times. “我很感激所有人一直支持我，”她说. “Everyone always encouraged me to be better. I've had a great experience here."

马丁内斯, who wants to live a quiet and simple life on a farm after she retires, appreciates all the challenges placed in her path, 她承认，他们帮助她在“人生的这个阶段”实现了平衡." 

“这种感觉太棒了，”马丁内斯说，“因为你对自己更有信心了. You walk with more confidence; you walk with more positivity. It was really such a change for me.

“I am so happy with everything I have overcome."

有关南泽西州罗文学院军事服务计划的更多信息，请访问 RCSJ.edu/Veterans #.​