Janet Martini
What makes Janet Wildly Capable?
The daughter of a German immigrant, Janet embodies endurance, hope, and unwavering integrity. Her friendship has shown me the power of choosing truth even in the face of fear or opposition. She selflessly lays down her life for the good of others, including those who give nothing in return. Quick to serve and quick to apologize, Janet exemplifies humility, grace, and generosity. – MORGAN SHILLOW
What does your typical day look like?
Every day at 4:00 a.m., you will find me outside walking. In fact, I would rather walk in the rain than have to walk inside, though a hard rain, snow, or ice does stop me. I listen to a lot of books and music during that time. Sometimes I just listen to the birds. I take the beauty I experience in the morning into my work. As the academic dean for a classical Christian school, my work is to ensure that our teachers perceive the truth, goodness, and beauty in the world and are enabled to pass that knowledge along to the students. My work day is filled with two primary duties: embedding our vision, purpose, and mission into the objectives and curriculum for each grade; and mentoring the teachers to embody our vision in their classrooms. My search for the true, good, and beautiful doesn’t stop at the end of my work day. The adventure continues whether I am with friends or family, especially my two grandsons.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
You develop habits to survive the traumas you face. Acknowledging and changing the self-destructive habits has taken my whole life.
What keeps you up at night?
It is difficult for me when I know a young adult who has experienced the same type of childhood that I did, and I see them starting to make the same mistakes I did. I want to tell them that I see them and that I care. I want to be there for them in a way that no one was for me.
One year from today, how do you hope you’re different?
I want to be able to help more people see the true, the good, and the beautiful.
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
I would like to teach people to recognize when they are being treated like an object rather than a human being made in God’s image and to recognize when they are treating someone like an object rather than a human being made in God’s image.
What advice do you wish you could give your younger self? How might it have changed your course?
Don’t use your imagination to create a world you want while ignoring the reality around you. Use your imagination to create healthy habits to live in the reality the Lord has provided.
