With the school year coming to a close, College Park will soon be sending off the senior class with high hopes for their futures. One of the seniors the Paladin staff will be saying goodbye to is Tino Martinez. Despite it being his first and only year being on the staff, Tino left his impression, known for his talkative nature and staple opinions during podcasts. In Newspaper, he most often wrote about the athletics departments and Fashion Club.

Besides being a staff member, Tino was an active member of the student body, participating in multiple clubs throughout the year.

“I was in SABER, student council, Chinese Club, Anime Club, Chess Club, and Cavs Joined For Hope, Interact too, I think,” Tino said. “I showed up to a lot of meetings. I didn’t always stay but I always showed up for at least one.”

Out of all the clubs he was in, Tino’s favorite was Chess Club.

“There was a kid in there named Taj, and he talked a bunch of smack about how he was gonna beat me in chess,” Tino said. “I showed up there, hoodie wrapped around my head, one eye open, and beat him back to back.”

One of the events he remembers during his time at College Park was the World Cup.

“I’m not saying we should have won, we definitely weren’t going to win, but we wouldn’t have lost as badly as we did if the one team wasn’t the entire boy’s varsity soccer team,” Tino said. “And championships, I’m not saying we would’ve won, but we wouldn’t have lost 4-1, we would’ve lost 2-1.”

Many people in Tino’s high school career made a difference in his experience, but he mentioned his friend, Taj, and his teacher, Mrs. Morris, specifically.

“Taj, I’d say I came to see him as an acquaintance this year, and then for teachers, Mrs. Morris definitely. She’s my math teacher. I’m horrible at math and she really made me able to understand the subject this year, so I’ll always appreciate her,” Tino said.

There are lessons we all take from high school, big and small. Tino advised underclassmen to be themselves.

“Not to be corny or anything but like, it’s a lot cooler to be yourself,” Tino said. “No matter how you say it, it’s gonna sound stupid, but it’s more just like being comfortable being yourself because at the end of the day, this is just high school. Even if you try to change yourself and be like ‘whatever,’ that’s cool but you’re only gonna have that for four years, then you’ll have to be yourself, by yourself,” Tino said. “So just find yourself. You’re not gonna find yourself entirely because you’re only like, max eighteen, but at least you’ll know yourself, you’ll know a little bit of who you are.”

Tino will be working over the summer, and in Fall 2023, he will be attending Lone Star College. He plans to transfer to University of Texas: Austin or Full Sail University for audio engineering.

The Paladin staff will miss Tino’s spunk, but we know he will go far!