“I would always sneak up,” he said as he laughed. Martin said he was thankful to have seen some important moments in Red Sox history, including Derek Lowe’s no-hitter in 2002.
After a few semesters of working part-time at Fenway while enrolled at Bay State, Martin began to look for full-time employment.
“I couldn't come up with the money for the next semester,” he said. “And I was like, ‘Alright I’ll just take a semester off, and I’ll go back.’ But I ended up applying for a job [at Harvard], and I never went back to school. I just started working full time.”
Martin first worked at Leverett House. “I was a pot washer for twenty hours a week, and gradually I kept applying for in-house jobs,” he said.
However, in 2009, Martin was reassigned to Annenberg after all Harvard University Dining Services workers had to rebid for their positions because of staff downsizing.
Martin says he has found a home at Annenberg since moving there. When asked whether he prefered Leverett House or Annenberg, Martin emphatically said, “Oh, Annenberg!”
LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE BERG
While Martin spends well over forty hours each week at Annenberg, outside Cambridge, Martin enjoys sports and spending time with his family.
“I love sports,” he said. “And I’m watching as much as I can .” Martin remains loyal to his Boston roots, cheering on the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins.
Above all, Martin shows a deep commitment to his young family. He has a five-year-old daughter and a son who will turn three years old on Thursday.
“I love spending quality time with my family,” he said.
Martin’s daughter is a Girl Scout, and he takes his whole family on many of her scouting expeditions. “It’s great. A lot of the activities she has, we get to do them with her, and the whole family can enjoy it,” he said.
His family recently left his hometown of Somerville for Tewksbury, a town about 45 minutes away from campus. Because of the longer commute, when he works the breakfast shift, Martin is unable to see his children in the morning, which has been a difficult change for him.
Looking to the future, while moving has presented challenges, Martin said he would like to continue working in Annenberg because he has found a community among his co-workers and students.
“My kids are going to school where we live, so if I was to change [jobs] it would probably be because of that,” he said. “I feel comfortable here. I really enjoy working here, and I think I’ll stay.”
—Staff writer Joshua J. Florence can be reached at jflorence@college.harvard.edu.