By Olivia Miller
In celebration of those who have adopted our Mountain Mama as their own, “Talent Transplant” recognizes the Mountaineers who were born elsewhere but relocated here, embraced our beloved state and now help us work toward a brighter future.
It was a long, complex and at times risky journey that brought Dr. Mirta Martin to West Virginia in January 2018 to serve as president of Fairmont State University. Born in Havana, Cuba, during the communist regime led by Fidel Castro, Martin was 6 years old when she, her grandmother and her sister were given permission by the Cuban government to go to Spain. The move separated them from the rest of their family for decades.
On a leap of faith, the trio migrated to the U.S. when Martin was about 13 years old. Martin’s grandmother believed an American education was the
path forward. It was she who instilled in Martin the values of education, faith and resilience, which propelled Martin to eventually establish herself in one of the most prestigious roles in higher education: university president.
Obtaining an Education
“When we arrived in the United States, like many other immigrants and families in America today, my grandmother worked two full-time jobs, and my sister and I went to school full time and worked a full-time job,” says Martin.
Money made from cleaning houses put food on their table, but it wasn’t always enough. “I remember going hungry,” she says. “Not because we weren’t working but because life happened and we had to direct funds to other things.”
For Martin, the idea of going to college seemed insurmountable. “If you can’t put enough food on your table, how are you going to afford college?” she says.
It was a teacher by the name of Seena Rosenberg who helped her navigate the application process when she decided to apply to Duke University. Determined to see Martin go to college, Rosenberg even wrote the check needed to submit the application. Martin would go on to earn bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science from Duke, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in management and leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Education has the power to transform lives, and for Martin and her family, it undeniably did. Being the oldest sibling and the first to attend college, Martin’s success with her studies allowed her younger siblings to attend college as well. As a result, all of her and her siblings’ 13 children have earned college degrees, including her daughter, Katherine, who earned a Ph.D., and her son, Patrick, who received a master’s degree.
Pursuing a Passion
Although Martin began her career in the banking industry, where she quickly rose through the ranks, she chose to leave and pursue her passion for academia.
“This was a wonderful move because it allowed me to have a foot in the banking industry while keeping the other foot in academia, which is a part of my DNA,” she says.
Starting as a tenure-track professor of business at Averett University in Richmond, VA, Martin quickly advanced through various administrative roles. Each step up the academic ladder demanded more responsibility but provided a greater opportunity for her to create meaningful change in the lives of students, including creating the first executive fast track Master of Business Administration degree program in the state of Virginia.
Accepting the position of president at Fairmont State University in January 2018 was an honor for Martin. In West Virginia she saw an opportunity to create change in the lives of students. The values and upbringing she and her husband, John, share mirrored those of the West Virginians they met
“I came here because I believed there were tremendous opportunities at Fairmont State to transform the lives of the people in our state and in our communities,” she says. “I saw an innate passion for education, for educating the next generation of leaders. I saw people who are resilient and who have grit. I came here because I believed in what I saw.”
As president, Martin bears the weight of West Virginia parents on her shoulders, and she believes the university has the capability, the breadth of programs and the heart to educate the next generation of leaders West Virginia needs.
“As a parent, we all want better for our children,” she says. “Those sacrifices shape who you are, and that is quite honestly why I’m here at Fairmont State.”
Identifying New Opportunities
In the months prior to starting her presidential duties, Martin moved into a residence hall on campus to engage first-hand with students, faculty and staff. “I wanted to send a very direct message that students are first and that I’m here to listen to their needs and try to remove some of the obstacles to their success,” she says.
What Martin found was that Fairmont State is one of the best-kept secrets in West Virginia. She could not grapple with the fact that most high school students were not aware of the oldest and third largest university in the state. In light of this, one of her first objectives was to establish a digital presence for the university and begin sharing its story with the world.
“A challenge reveals an opportunity, so that was the first opportunity—to be able to create a platform to tell our story,” she says. “I want to have a place that’s a destination of choice for students because of the excellence of our academics but also because of the nurturing, caring environment we afford our students.”
Embracing the Falcon Family
When Martin speaks of the Falcon community, she instinctively uses the word family—a family that does not just begin and end with the students but encompasses the faculty, staff, alumni, legislators and community at large. Martin’s day-to-day tasks include ensuring the fiscal stability of the university, overseeing its growth and, most importantly, being an integral and active part of the family.
Martin considers Fairmont State and the city of Fairmont to be one in the same, which means what benefits one is ultimately also beneficial for the other. As such, she is actively involved in the community, dedicating time to the United Way, a local hospital board and the Marion County Chamber of Commerce. She has also been appointed to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Four-Year Higher Education, named to the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council for the northern district of West Virginia and regularly attends Student Government Association meetings, student and athletic events and faculty and staff activities when she’s not on the road recruiting.
“I consider all of these as being a part of something that is greater than the self,” she says. “I live on campus, and for me this is a privilege 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Preparing for West Virginia’s Future
Martin’s belief in the gravity of education, everlasting family ties and persistence serve as a constant source of inspiration.
“Many of our students are doing what I was doing 35 years ago,” she says. “They are coming to school full time and working two full-time jobs during the summers, and I can identify with them. I understand hunger. I understand having to choose between eating or buying a textbook. We are determined to ensure Fairmont State provides an exceptional, affordable and accessible education to all those who seek it.”
She is also determined to help address the issue of keeping West Virginia’s talent at home to help move the state forward.
“My goal is to position Fairmont State University to become the provider of choice for an educated workforce for the state of West Virginia so we can keep our talent here where it belongs as opposed to being the greatest exporter of talent,” she says. “I want us to be able to attract and retain the next generation of leaders and industries so we can grow our state.”
Martin has embraced the Mountain State—and its challenges—as her own. She is inspired by her students, the state’s natural beauty and its people, who she believes are second to none.
“The people and the incredible heart they possess is quite candidly what makes this state a destination,” she says. “It’s my opportunity to pass it forward, to perhaps make a small little impact on the lives of others just like so many others have made a huge impact on my life.”
