An educator who believes everyone deserves an accessible education, speech-language pathologist Kyra Martiny, has spent that past six years helping enhance the lives of her students at Stony Point North Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. She believes school should be a positive chapter in every child’s life, and she does her part to ensure everyone who enters her classroom feels that positivity and love.
“Communication is a fundamental human right,” said Martiny. “When a child struggles to be able to fully express themselves, their quality of life is affected, and the reality is that without the right support, they won’t have as many opportunities in the future. My job is to support students with communication needs to better access and participate in their education. Many families may not be able to access speech-language services in private clinical or hospital settings due to insurance, costs, immigration status, or transportation circumstances, but kids still have to go to school.”
Several of the students Martiny supports are non-speaking, or cannot meet their needs using verbal communication 100% of the time. To assist, she has the privilege of supporting them by using communication devices and other strategies to help them best express themselves. Martiny serves a very diverse caseload of children and assists with speech sound production, language comprehension and expression, self-advocacy, social communication, literacy, cognitive skills and much more.
“I am proud of the relationships that I have been able to form with my students,” said Martiny. “I get so many hugs each day and so many little faces pop into my doorway just to say ‘hi’ throughout the day. That means a lot to me because research tells us that the best thing for a child as they grow up is to have as many safe, positive and trusting relationships as possible. Every child in my care is the center of someone else’s universe – the most important person in the world to someone else – and to be trusted with that responsibility isn’t something that I take lightly.”
While Martiny was in graduate school, she was told that one of the most important things a person can do is to ‘choose joy’. Although it’s simple, the message has stuck with her because she is constantly reminded of her own power to choose how to approach certain situations. She’s able to focus on the joyful interactions that help make a difference and create a lasting impact to her students at Stony Point North Elementary.
“Something I find incredibly special about my school is the culture of inclusivity,” said Martiny. “I’m only one person among an incredible staff of people who show up to work every day because they want to be there, and they want to empower our students to love their own differences and accept and appreciate the differences of their peers. It’s important to remind my students that they are wildly capable of anything they put their minds to, that they deserve to be successful, and that something that may feel challenging right now doesn’t need to always be so.”
As a valued teacher and prominent figure in the local community, Martiny’s willingness to lend a helping hand to those around her is encouraging. She’s a firm believer in being the most supportive adult she can be and not sweating the little things. She keeps an open mind and does her part to create an enjoyable environment for everyone in her classroom.
“I think the goal for any educator is to empower your students with new skills and knowledge, and to see them gradually apply those skills independently,” said Martiny. “By modeling the character traits that we want to see our children develop, we’re building up the tools in their toolbox. It’s important for me to foster a culture of community and acceptance with my students.”
“Kyra’s a skilled therapist and a compassionate human being,” said Martiny’s nominator, Michael Mahr. “Whether it’s accepting an invitation to the birthday party of a former student or making handmade notes for kids to use who couldn’t say “Trick-or-Treat” on Halloween, Kyra has a passion for creating lasting connections with her students and families.”
“The positivity, passion, and determination Kyra demonstrates to help enhance the lives of our elementary school children is inspiring,” said Christina Lively, Blue KC Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Learning about the way she approaches each day, and understanding the care and compassion that goes into her lesson plans, make Kyra a well-deserved recipient of the Blue KC Sporting Samaritan award. We’re grateful for her commitment to the classroom and look forward to her future, which we know will be full of even more successes. Congratulations!”
