Local Leo Declared Texas Leo of the Year
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Piney Woods Leo and Crockett Senior Mayra Martinez was honored recently, being named, “Leo of The Year” for the district and in the state of Texas. (District 2-X3 and State MD2) Martinez is graduating from Crockett High School and will be attending Texas A&M in the fall.
Martinez has certainly kept busy during her high school years, spending three years doing cheer, serving as Vice-Chair of the school’s Spanish Club and competing in FFA nursery landscape and entomology. She somehow found time to be President of the Piney Wood Leos and for the second year in a row, hold the record for most hours volunteering for the club.
She first heard about these mysterious “Leos” from a friend and in spite of her shyness, made her mind up to attend an event. Her first experience was helping with one of the food distribution events at the Crockett Civic Center. She hasn’t stopped volunteering since.
“I remember it was really nice for everyone to say, ‘Thank you,’ and helping bag potatoes and everyone talking and asking you about what I did in school, just to get to know me. I remember thinking I felt welcomed,” Martinez said.
Martinez plans to study English at A&M, before going into the nursing program. It’s all part of what she has learned in the Leos, specifically the rewards and the feeling one gets when helping others in the community.
“Something Leo’s club has taught me is to always give back to your community. And when you’re giving back, you’ll get things in return and you’ll get your experiences and memories along the way by helping people in need in the community,” Martinez said.
The Leos definitely attract overachievers like Martinez; young people who put the ideas of making a better world to practice in their daily lives.
Ellen Brooks, the Leos Club Advisor, acknowledges many of the young people in the group are the type who always stay busy doing something.
“I get the busy kids – and it’s something parents are always concerned about. ‘Will they have time?’ I always tell them there’s no commitment to the club. You do what you can based on your schedule,” Brooks recently told The Messenger. “Like anything, the more you put into it, the more you’re going to get out of it. They find time to volunteer and that was one of the goals – to make it fun. It can be fun and it can be very rewarding.”
Martinez had heard she would get the nod for Leo of the Year for the district, but couldn’t believe it when she heard she would receive the same honor on a state level.
“It felt nice to be rewarded,” Martinez said. “All my hard work had benefited me and the community as well. I was so surprised and so thankful for that opportunity.”
Martinez was one of several local students to receive scholarships from the Crockett Lions Club after their recent rodeo.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
