{"id":60673,"date":"2026-03-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=60673"},"modified":"2026-03-02T12:54:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:54:00","slug":"for-the-record-arelys-martinez-fabian-26-found-a-community-that-cares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-the-record-arelys-martinez-fabian-26-found-a-community-that-cares\/","title":{"rendered":"For the record: Arelys Martinez Fabian ’26 found a community that cares"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This profile is the second of six stories about students and alumni leading up to the 10th annual LovEMU Giving Day on April 1. For more information about the day and how to donate, visit <\/em>love.emu.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMU senior Arelys Martinez Fabian <\/strong>caught the teaching bug in first grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Winchester, Virginia, native would print out math worksheets for her younger sister to complete. With a classroom of stuffed animals gathered around them, she taught her sister, then a preschooler, basic lessons in addition and subtraction.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
For the first time in LovEMU history, a new challenge will be dedicated to raising funds to support EMU\u2019s first-generation college students.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve switched my career choices through the years, but I\u2019ve always gone back to teaching,\u201d said Martinez Fabian, an education and Spanish double major. \u201cWhen you make a connection with students and they realize, Oh, I can do it<\/em>, that\u2019s my favorite part of teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college student, Martinez Fabian fully immersed herself in EMU\u2019s rich campus life. She served as co-president of the Student Government Association and as orientation leader, worked as product manager for Common Grounds Coffeehouse, and held leadership roles with the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA). She also served as a student representative on the Interim President Search Committee last spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s difficult for her to imagine herself anywhere other than EMU. That wasn\u2019t always the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her senior year at Millbrook High School, she learned she had been accepted to the University of Virginia. It was her lifelong dream school. The decision should\u2019ve been an easy one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the same time,\u201d she said, \u201cI kept seeing signs that I should attend EMU.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High school teachers would unexpectedly mention EMU in passing. A coworker at her day care job shared how impactful her own EMU education had been. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When EMU accepted her and offered its highest academic award, the four-year, full-tuition Yoder\/Webb Scholarship<\/a>, the choice became clear: she would become a Royal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, she\u2019s sure she made the right call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believes EMU\u2019s nationally accredited teacher education program<\/a> has prepared her well for the realities of the classroom. As a student teacher at Bluestone Elementary in Harrisonburg, she spent the first week of school last fall observing how teachers set rules and expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMU\u2019s small class sizes have allowed her to form close relationships with professors. She said she has always felt comfortable seeking their guidance and support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During recent immigration-related crackdowns across the country, Martinez Fabian, who has relatives from Latin America, said professors regularly checked in with her to make sure she felt safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew I could go to them for support,\u201d she said. \u201cI was able to get through some tough times because of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your support helps students like Arelys pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 10th annual LovEMU Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future EMU students. On April 1, let\u2019s show that our generosity knows no bounds\u2026for the record!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: This profile is the second of six stories about students and alumni leading up to the 10th annual LovEMU Giving Day on April 1. For more information about ... read more about For the record: Arelys Martinez Fabian ’26 found a community that cares<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":60680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5583,17562,5594,4513,14139,5730],"tags":[18402,9878,18661,18155,18831,18352,17869,18829,18068,18338,17841,17454,9545,18477,18839,17845,18036],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-60673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-digest","category-education","category-student-life","category-student-profiles","category-undergraduate-programs","tag-arelys-martinez-fabian","tag-education","tag-first-gen","tag-first-generation","tag-for-the-record","tag-latinx-student-alliance","tag-lovemu","tag-lovemu-2026","tag-lovemu-giving-day","tag-lsa-2","tag-scholarships","tag-sga","tag-spanish","tag-teacher-education","tag-winchester","tag-yoder-webb-scholars","tag-yoder-webb","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nFor the record: Arelys Martinez Fabian '26 found a community that cares - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-the-record-arelys-martinez-fabian-26-found-a-community-that-cares\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For the record: Arelys Martinez Fabian '26 found a community that cares - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Editor\u2019s Note: This profile is the second of six stories about students and alumni leading up to the 10th annual LovEMU Giving Day on April 1. 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