It took more than 30 years, but timing – and the right program – brought Christina Martinez back to college.
Martinez is part of the inaugural Forestry program at the PCC Southwest Mancos campus. She and her husband have worked in the residential tree service and logging professions for more than two decades.
“We have a logging company, so there’s this relationship you have with the Forest Service at the state level, federal level, county level and everything in between,” she said. “You’re working with all these people, so I wanted to have a similar language. I wanted to be able to understand what they do.”
Luckily, as she was thinking about returning to school, she found information about PCC Southwest’s new program.
“It’s only 15 minutes away and a great price compared to a large school,” she said. “If you want to be outside or be involved with the forests, there are so many jobs you can do.”
Martinez’s first college experience was at a large Texas university. Now, as a nontraditional student, she sees some similarities in her classroom experiences but also valuable differences.
“This is much less stressful than a giant university and less expensive," she said. “It’s more integrated with adults and young people, so it’s a fuller experience. If this is your first time going to college, this is a really great place because at a big university, you have to learn everything the hard way. Everybody’s so helpful (here).”
Martinez said guest speakers and field trips have been valuable components of the Forestry classes, especially experiencing it as a business owner.
“There’s a whole different idea about logging these days that I think people aren’t understanding,” she said. “You work with the Forest Service. You don’t just go in, take it all down and leave. You work hand in hand with these representatives.
“I’m taking forestry so I can pull (everything) together – make it maybe closer to a residential tree service (experience). There are relationships you want to develop as opposed to just being a logging company that won the bid.”
In addition to improving her business, Martinez intends to use the skills she gains at PCC Southwest to explore opportunities in urban landscaping to “facilitate healthier living” in cities and other areas.
“I really would encourage people who are trying to make their businesses more profitable to continue their education,” she said. “There’s always something cool to learn.”
