Photo: Juan Posada

Maria Martinez has worked for Sodexo at ArtCenter for 13 years as a cashier, barista and grill cook. Marketing and Communications staff member Jered Gold says, “Like much of the Sodexo team, Maria is one of those people who doesn’t always get the recognition she deserves. She’s been making coffee, serving food and ringing up my purchases since I started working here. I don’t get to see her as often since we’re at different campuses, but every time I do, she brightens my day.”

ArtCenter News: What’s your favorite part of your job?

Maria Martinez: Talking with customers.

AN: What is your favorite place on campus?

MM: The Sculpture Garden.

AN: What do you do when you’re not at work?

MM: I enjoy spending time at home resting and being with my family

It takes a lot of people to run a College—faculty to teach classes, administrative staff who handle everything from admitting and enrolling students to maintaining facilities and paying the bills and academic department staff who juggle classroom schedules, faculty needs and student requests. We employ shop technicians, projectionists, accountants, writers, fundraisers and librarians. We also rely on other organizations to provide us with security personnel, shuttle drivers, food services and our student store. Everyone who works here contributes to the success of the College, whether they are officially employed by ArtCenter or by someone else. Everyone is a valued member of our community. The Staff Spotlight series provides a brief introduction to a few of them.