Sunnyside High School math, science and engineering teacher Spencer Martin was announced as the 2014  Educational Service District (ESD) 105 winner at a ceremony Tuesday morning.

Martin is a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran who began teaching at Sunnyside after his military service in 2006. He began teaching integrated science, integrated mathematics, algebra, and geometry. In 2011, he was approached by then-principal Chuck Salinas about creating a strand of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes to add into the school’s curriculum. Martin’s research and planning introduced courses in robotics, applied physics and aerospace engineering at Sunnyside High School. He teamed together with the GEAR UP program, Project Lead The Way, and business and community programs to develop the new offerings for Sunnyside’s students.

Martin is a 1986 graduate of Sunnyside High School, and holds a B.S. degree in liberal arts from New York’s Excelsior College and an M.S. in education from Virginia’s Old Dominion University.

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