When Danielle Martin came to Temple University as an employee over six years ago, she knew immediately that it was a place where she could get and give exactly what she needed in life.

Martin joined the university as the Academic Success Coordinator at Temple University Harrisburg in 2017. In this role, she served as an advisor for the campus' first-year student program, which allowed Temple students to begin their first year at the Harrisburg location, and then transition to Main Campus as sophomores to complete their degrees. She also helped prepare students and their families for their time in Philadelphia.

These days, part of her role involves working with students at the other end of their academic journeys, overseeing the Capitol Semester - when current Temple students spend time at Temple Harrisburg to do a variety of things at the state government level. But it still involves, and will always involve, creating opportunities for students to access higher education and envision themselves as changemakers.

Before Temple, Martin worked at Harrisburg Area Community College. And before that, she was a teacher. Her passion for students and what she saw in the classroom - the lack of resources, the environments her students came from and their resiliency and ability to thrive - never left her, and inspire much of her work today, including her work in partnership with the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

In addition to serving as an adjunct assistant professor and teaching the CEHD course "Why Care About College," Martin enjoys partnering with the college's college access staff to bring dual enrollment efforts to the Harrisburg area, specifically for students who think they may want to become a teacher.

"We are very familiar with the teacher shortage and the need to diversify the pipeline," Martin said. "It's my hope that once students in my community have exposure and awareness regarding the opportunities, they will be inspired to become teachers and pay it forward."

Martin has developed a variety of youth programming and community outreach initiatives, such as college and career prep workshops and SAT prep programs, and she regularly visits schools to help students and families learn how to get ready for college or the workforce. She is also heavily involved with the grant-funded Teen Outreach Program, which provides an opportunity for social-emotional learning for teens, adolescents and at-risk youth.

A staunch advocate, Martin recently testified before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing regarding the need to diversify the teacher pipeline. She has also been recently honored with the Keeper of the Flame Scholarship, the North Star Award, and - along with her daughters - received the Black Excellence Award given by the American Literacy Corporation. This summer, Martin began serving her role as vice president/president of the PA Black Conference on Higher Education, an organization founded in 1970 with the mission to ensure equity and access to higher education for African American and other students of color in the Commonwealth.

One might think that's more than enough to fill the days, but Martin said she realized it was time to do even more.

"Once I got settled in my position and watched my students grow and evolve, I started to think about what it would look like if I continued my journey, now that I had the access and opportunity to do so," Martin shared. She applied for admission to Temple's educational leadership doctoral program in CEHD in late 2018 and was accepted in early 2019. She defended her dissertation in May 2023 and received her degree the following August, noting how special the diploma is, signed by Temple's late president, JoAnne A. Epps.

"What I didn't see then," Martin, a single mother of two, shared, "was the hope that I would give to my students at Temple, to my community members, to other single mothers and adults in general. I didn't see it then. I see it now."

"I now have a whole other network of educators - principals, superintendents, movers and shakers. I will never forget my chair, Dr. Judy Stull. She gave me everything I needed, even the things I didn't know I needed. What Dr. Stull did for me, I will never forget - just in terms of being there and being supportive."

Martin said she is motivated by those around her, starting with her own children, twin girls that began their Temple education as students in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture as Martin completed her doctorate.

"The best thing was for my kids to be able to see me go through this process and to meet my game changers at graduation. They got to witness the ending of that chapter, the celebration of walking the stage."

While she hoped her daughters, Arin and Ashlee, would pursue education, they have different interests. Martin says she is happy for them to pursue their passions related to graphic arts and animation. Her message to them: "Keep going and continue to be the light. Shine your light and share your love."

Martin has broken the cycle in her own family, as a first-generation college graduate.

"I am a product of two people who didn't go to college, and I wanted more access and opportunity for me. Because of that, I'm a doctor of education. And that's huge, coming from where I come from. I want to show students, especially those that look like me, that this is doable."

Now she takes pride in raising awareness of dual enrollment programs and financial support opportunities within her community, as these were things she didn't know about when she was in high school.

"I go to the grocery store and people are like 'There goes the Temple lady!' I'm their connection to Temple."

One recent experience was particularly impactful on Martin and those around her. She shared that she was seeking to inspire a group of high school students in a tangible way. So, she brought in her cap and gown, and borrowed some more from colleagues. She visited the students and spoke to them about ways they could be leaders and make an impact. The students tried on the regalia and took pictures so they could truly see their future selves.

"I needed them to see that," Martin said. "They needed the experience of touching it, feeling it. I hooded them and called them 'Doctor.' They took a lap around the room. They might not remember my name down the road, but they'll remember this experience, what it felt like. They'll remember that despite what's in front of them, what their neighborhood looks like, what anyone else says, they can do anything they set their minds to."

"The young people coming up right now need hope," Martin explained. "That's one reason why if I can do it, I do it. They need to see and touch their future opportunities."

Mentorship has been a big part of Martin's life, and she appreciates the fact that she has always had multiple mentors - spiritual, personal and professional. "These people have found time to pour into me and to give to me in some type of way. It's my responsibility to reach back and pull someone up to walk alongside me."

"My pastor told me this when I was in my doctoral journey: 'Someone is waiting for you to finish. What you're doing is giving someone else permission to step into their next.' You can have an impact and be a leader from where you stand now. Someone is waiting for you."

In addition to her children, her parents, her mentors and her students, Martin said she is motivated to keep pushing forward for the future students she doesn't even know yet, and grateful for the platform to make an impact.

"What I love about Temple is that the people value diversity, they care about social justice," Martin said. "I feel as a student and as a professional that I matter here. It's why I go so hard for Temple - because of what the institution has given me: value, a voice; the things I bring to the table matter. I was able to inspire people more because I'm Temple Made. And being Temple Made is special - it's like nothing else."