Ari Martinez is the High School Programs Coordinator at Kid City Hope Place. She is a proud Chicana, first-generation scholar and daughter of immigrants. Her passion for equitable education stems from her academic and professional journey–from LAUSD to UCLA and USC. Since 2019, Ari has been involved in Kid City through volunteer opportunities, internships, fellowships, and as the former High School Programs Coordinator.

Ari attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she double majored in Political Science and Chicanx Studies, and minored in Education. Through her academic experiences, she learned the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and making resources and services accessible to support students in achieving their goals. With eight years of experience in education, she has enhanced her navigation, collaboration, and advising skills to better support a diverse student population. Moreover, her Kid City students’ resilience motivated her to pursue a Masters in Education in Educational Counseling at the University of Southern California. Since then, she has worked at the USC Career Center, Pasadena City College, National University, and in academic research. As Ari returns to Kid City, she is equipped with a new toolkit and strategies to advocate with students in their college access journey.

She is committed to fostering an inclusive and enriching academic environment through empathy, active listening, and intentionality for marginalized communities. Her areas of expertise are college access and persistence, financial wellness, and interdisciplinary research. 

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Email me at arianna@kidcityhopeplace.org