Nurturing a sense of community for all students.
By Bennett Campbell Ferguson
October 2, 2026
As long as Alex Martinez ’73 and Kathy Martinez have known each other, Reed College has been part of their life. When they first met, Alex told Kathy about his alma mater; after they had children, they took them to visit the campus; and when the college reached out to Alex about becoming a trustee, Kathy urged him to accept.
“Well, of course you’re going to do that because that’s all you ever talk about—Reed College and what an impact it had on your life!” Kathy remembers telling Alex. He joined the board—and thanks to annual support from him and Kathy, the Social Justice Research and Education Fund is empowering student leadership and fostering diversity at Reed.
Throughout their lives, Alex and Kathy have been united by a strong sense of justice. They first met while working in the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender. Later, Alex served as a trial judge and then became the first Hispanic justice appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1996.
At Reed, Alex formed lifelong friendships, but something was missing. When he first arrived, he wondered, “Where’s the Chicano students’ organization?” “I had expected there would be more students with my particular racial, ethnic background,” he recalls. As a trustee, he has supported efforts to nurture the sense of community that he had yearned for as a student.
The Social Justice Research and Education Fund has provided for paid student internships focused on equity, social justice, community, and civic engagement. Alex’s and Kathy’s hope is to give students the opportunity to know that they are Reed in the same way that Reed knows they will always be our community.
Asked why people should contribute to Reed, Alex reflects on the ripple effects of giving and gives a detailed explanation about the value to society of a Reed education. Kathy affectionately describes that response as “a very Reedie answer.”
“If you can afford it, definitely donate to Reed,” she says. “You know what the quality of this school is.”
