Katherine Martinez is a Security Specialist for the Department of the Navy at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center. She oversees security investigations, preserves National security, and conducts daily personnel security operations. Martinez, A U.S Navy veteran served four years of active duty service as a Sonar Technician, STG2, stationed onboard the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC).

Katherine Martinez believes that community collaboration and providing resources to our military community are some of the best ways to achieve success in higher education. She has served as the first-female President of Old Dominion University’s SVA chapter 2021-2022 as well as their Community Outreach Officer 2020-2021; previously, she served as the President of the SVA chapter at Tidewater Community College 2019-2020.

Katherine was named the 2021 Student Veteran of the Year due to her accomplishments and dedication at each college she attended. Her efforts have included strategies to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural awareness to and for student veterans; establishing relationships to help student veterans as well as the veteran community-at-large tackle the many hurdles they face on a daily basis.

Katherine brings a unique perspective to the Board of Directors at Student Veterans of America through her work in the local community and as a recent graduate. She received her bachelor’s degree with a dual major of Sociology and Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University. She completed work with INNOVATE Monarchs to help design a student-ready college (supported by the Lumina Grant), is a member of the Theta Eta chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority and was mentioned in the 2020 GI Jobs Magazine as a part of their Inaugural Student Veteran Leadership awards. She is an active Character Does Matter mentor and Operation Legacy project coordinator with the Travis Manion Foundation. Through her personal enrollment in Project Achieve, through Virginia Commonwealth University, she has also presented a webcast about her experience in the program and the benefits of cognitive support technology while in college.