My name is Joyce P. Martin.

I am a student at Morgan State University in the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program. My motivation is to help other people find their voice as I continue to find my own. I have found like me at that age, there are a lot of students coming out of high school without the skills to excel in their journey as young working adults. Things like leadership, public speaking, and debate were not a part of my regular class curriculum at a regular public school. My experience taught me that a lack of exposure and excitement about learning is more to blame than an aptitude for so many students.

I’m based 20 miles south of downtown Washington D.C. in an unincorporated community, which when it was established in 1809, was the only fort protecting the Capitol. I take pride in the rich history and beautiful landscape of my Fort Washington neighborhood. The Potomac River is behind me at Fort Washington Park.

I joined the Army within months of graduating high school, and it was there that I gained a second chance at education. After graduating with a master’s degree in Communication Management from Syracuse University and having already attained a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a Public Relations Concentration and a minor in Journalism from Austin Peay State University, I thought it was best to apply my communication experience to national defense challenges, which is where I have remained for the last 20 years. I became accredited in Public Relations and Military Communication with the National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Eye for simplicity

I believe in making complicated things simple for a wider audience. If I can’t understand, I can’t communicate it to others.

Approach to communication

I have a track record for building small businesses and organization reputations by focusing on the grassroots building blocks.

Business built on trust

I was an independent auto dealer during the 2008 turn-down. I understand that when things are topsy-turvy, you expect a team behind you that has your back.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

— da Vinci

I became accustomed to an exciting career early, having traveled to Kuwait, Egypt, and Korea for duty; earned a Humanitarian Service Medal for response during Hurricane Andrew’s devastation of Homestead, Fla.; and accepted the coveted Parachutist Badge while serving with XVIII Airborne Corps, all before my 25th birthday.

What about young people who want to stay close to home after graduation?

  • Could the Maryland Registered Apprentice Program be a conduit for a second chance at education?

  • Would a learn-and-earn model similar to the one in the Army’s basic training and early to mid-career leadership program that played a role in my evolution be adaptable to community college programs?

  • What best practices could we learn from countries like Sweden, which has a well-documented history of successful apprenticeships?

  • How can more young people gain the skills they need to NOT ONLY survive but flourish in the workplace?

All of these questions guide my research about nontraditional apprenticeships. This website hosts the discovery of answers to these questions, relevant projects and research that I undertook during the program, and interesting articles from thought leaders.

Enamul Haque, a technology thought leader, once said, “Like seeds waiting to sprout, ideas need the nourishment of sharing to grow into something magnificent.”  

LET'S TALK

LET'S TALK

I may be out of the military, but I’m still here to serve.

Hours
Monday–Friday
10am–6pm

Email
jmartin@photogenesysmedia.com