Tyler Martinez received the award based on his contributions to student affairs as a potential future leader of the profession.
The Rising Star Award recognizes undergraduate students for their achievement, involvement and potential in the student affairs profession. Recipients must be actively involved in student affairs and planning to pursue an advanced degree in that field. NASPA, the leading association for student affairs professionals, connects 15,000 members and 2,100 institutions worldwide. Region III includes Texas and 10 states in the Southeastern United States.
“Receiving the Rising Star Award is a great honor and a moment of deep reflection for me,” says Martinez, a senior majoring in African American studies. “It’s an affirmation of the communities that shaped me, the exceptional student affairs professionals who mentored me and the purpose that guides my work in student affairs and advocacy.”
Martinez’s work is impressively broad. As a founding member and co-chair of the Emory Police Department (EPD) Student Advisory Council, established in fall 2025, Martinez serves as a bridge between students and campus safety leadership, ensuring student perspectives are represented in safety and policy conversations.
Before serving as 59th SGA president, Martinez was the inaugural president of SGA’s Belonging and Community Council, a group dedicated to amplifying the contributions of student-led organizations that support marginalized communities on campus.
During his tenure as vice president of the Emory NAACP, he designed and executed the Emory NAACP Image Awards program, which drew more than 150 attendees to honor influential members of the Emory community for their commitment to advocacy and trailblazing.
Serving as moderator for Wonderful Wednesday, Emory’s weekly tradition that brings together students and student organizations, Martinez expanded community engagement among hundreds of such organizations. And as vice president of Emory Lifting Our Voices, a service organization that addresses the needs of underserved communities in metro Atlanta, his responsibilities included fundraising that enabled the chapter to assemble more than 600 meals for each of their bimonthly sandwich runs.
Last summer, Martinez was involved in the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program at the University of Notre Dame. The competitive fellowship, which cultivates future student affairs leaders, included collaborating with residential life administrators to redesign student staff positions and develop programming initiatives across multiple offices in the division.
Martinez has also conducted research and analysis of state and local policies affecting civil rights, voting access and social justice initiatives in Georgia for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A journey built on empathy, inspired by personal experience
“Tyler plans to join the field of student affairs to support the development of college students like himself — demonstrating a level of self-awareness and purpose I have rarely encountered in a student,” says Lydia Washington, Emory’s executive director of student centers and a 20-year veteran of student affairs.
Washington has witnessed Martinez’s leadership journey unfold across multiple roles, from early involvement in advocacy-focused student organizations to leading his peers as SGA president.
“In each role, Tyler has exceeded the expectations of his peers and our administration,” says Washington, noting that Martinez has consistently addressed the needs of underrepresented students, amplified diverse cultural representation and created spaces to keep the student body informed and engaged in campus life.
“Tyler’s talent for effectively communicating, collaborating and inspiring others demonstrates his deep understanding of student needs and his commitment to advancing student engagement, well-being and a sense of belonging,” Washington says. “His gifts will serve him well in what promises to be an outstanding career in student affairs leadership.”
One of the greatest of Martinez’s gifts, Washington says, is the ability to unite peers during complex and sensitive challenges, fostering community while addressing critical issues with insight and empathy. In leadership positions that required collaboration with university administration, Washington says Martinez demonstrates a keen understanding of institutional systems and a talent for bridging student needs with administrative priorities.
Martinez credits his life’s journey for the insight and empathy Washington sees in him.
“Like many first-generation college students, I have experienced moments of uncertainty, imposter syndrome and questioning whether I truly belong,” Martinez says. “Those experiences grounded my commitment to ensuring that other students, especially from underrepresented backgrounds, feel seen, supported and valued in the spaces they occupy.”
For Martinez, leadership is not about titles but is instead about impact. He’s focused on what structures can be created today that will continue to serve students tomorrow.
“I accepted NASPA’s Undergraduate Student Rising Star Award with gratitude and humility, not just for myself, but for every student who has ever questioned whether they belong and every community that has trusted me to advocate alongside them,” Martinez says.
“But most importantly, this honor motivates me to keep leading, keep listening and keep working to nurture campus communities where every student has opportunities to thrive.”