POWERGRAMS

HONORS Contracts Agent Robbie Martin has been honored with the first-ever Junior Achievement (JA) Alumnus of the Year Award and will have a $5,000 college scholarship in her name given to a current high school senior. JA is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs, said JA USA President and CEO Jack Kosakowski. The alumnus award is based on the leadership, character, community involvement and philanthropy of Martin since completing the JA program, he said. Martin volunteers time and skills to Junior Achievement of Alabama. She is chairwoman for the Junior Board of Junior Achievement of Alabama, previously served as Alabama Power's coordinator for the JA Bowling Classic and led more than 30 teams to raise a record amount of money for JA. "I am humbled to be able to give back to the community through the Robbie Steele Martin Scholarship," she said. "It is a blessing to be able to give to a community that has given so much to me and I am thrilled to be able to do this through Junior Achievement." She previously received the JA Stan Roberson Memorial Award, given to an outstanding volunteer. "Robbie has been a great supporter of JA and I think it is wonderful that she is being honored," said Rosalind Griffin, contracts supervisor. Martin is a motivational speaker for students and young women's groups. She writes a motivational blog called Because of Grace. She attributes her success in life and as a contract negotiator to her JA experiences. Martin's JA foundation gave her the confidence to express opinions and thoughts, innovative thinking, critical problem-solving and teamwork. She first learned through JA to positively craft and share her thoughts with an audience. "It is my desire to be a positive role model for young people and remind them that their destiny is not determined by their race, gender or address, it is determined by their hard work, persistence and positive attitude," she said. Martin spent three years as a high school student in the after-school JA program. She was vice president of Mid-America for Junior Achievement, attending the Canadian JA Conference as a delegate and visiting the JA National Office in Colorado Springs, Colo. JA of Alabama impacted the lives of more than 30,000 students last year. Martin and the Junior board members want to increase student participation by enlarging the volunteer base with young leaders and increasing scholarship opportunities for Alabama high school seniors. "Robbie's leadership skills, passion and energy are what set her apart and make her a vital piece of our Junior Achievement program," said JA of Alabama President Rick Murray. "She is an outstanding role model and we are so proud of her." JA's unique approach allows 213,000 volunteers to deliver the curriculum while sharing their experiences with students and empowering them to believe in themselves, Kosakowski said, showing them they can make a difference in the world. "Junior Achievement programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs that make their communities more robust and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace," said Kosakowski. "Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities." Martin is married to Verdel Martin, a Southern Company IT analyst, and they have two children: Jonathan David, 13, and Kaitlyn Gwenneth, 11. She said being a wife and mother is her most important job. International organization selects Martin first-ever Alumnus of Year 2 Mobile BayBears pitcher Brandon Sinnery gets signals from catcher Mark Thomas in a recent game at Hank Aaron Stadium. Photo by Dan Anderson. ON THE COVER: Martin presented her JA scholarship to Hoover High School senior Jonathan Hill. Photo by Chris Williams

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