Blake Martin

Classroom

Houston Babtist University defensive midfielder Blake Martin has a cumulative 4.0 GPA in nursing. In addition to the hours spent in the classroom and on the soccer field, she averages 16-20 hours per week in clinical training at the nearby hospital. She is interested in pursuing a career in ER, mental health or forensic nursing and eventually plans to pursue a degree as a nurse practitioner. Martin earned the 2014-15 HBU Varsity Athlete Award and the HBU President’s Scholarship every year. She has made the Dean’s List every semester and is a member of both the Alphi Chi National College Honor Society and the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Honor Society. Martin was part of the Grampion Student Nursing Exchange Program to Scotland in May, 2015. She was a Houston Methodist Hospital 2015 Outstanding Student Nurse Scholarship Nominee. Martin was named the 2014 National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America Scholar All-South Honorable Mention. She has made the Southland Conference Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the SLC All-Academic Team in 2013 and 2014.

Character

This year will be Martin’s second year in a row as president of Houston Baptist University’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Prior to being president, she was the Secretary in 2013-14 and the Vice President in Spring, 2014. She is the Recording Secretary for the HBU Nursing Student Association. Additionally, Martin has been a member of the Campus Outreach Leadership Committee since 2014.

Community

Martin is involved in Campus Outreach, a Christian service organization. She is also a member of Grace Bible Church, Houston. She had the opportunity to volunteer for many child centered charities. The most touching for Martin were visits to Los Arcos, a Houston apartment complex made up of almost entirely refugees and immigrants from Nepal, Congo, Thailand and Burma, where she and others played with the kids and gave the families necessities. As a leader in SAAC, Martin helped organize/run a dodgeball tournament to raise money for Toys for Tots. The group also hosted a bowling tournament for Special Olympics. Her Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group has helped out with Carter’s Kids, an organization that helps foster children in Houston. In May, 2014 mission trip to Boston where we cleaned a park and painted over graffiti so the children would have a nice place to play. She and others helped run a Memorial Day carnival and helped clean and refurbish the church where they stayed. Her soccer team has volunteered for the Houston Cup of Nations soccer tournament that brings the diverse nationalities in Houston together through the “beautiful game.” The team also loves to help new students move into their dorms every year during HBU Welcome Days. Martin has also collected canned goods for the Houston Food Pantry and sorted toys for the Salvation Army to donate to children who otherwise would not have Christmas gifts.

Competition

Martin is a team co-captain for the 2015 season. Martin was named 2015 Southland Conference Preseason Second Team and was named 2014 SLC Honorable Mention. She posted seven shutouts in 2014 as HBU won the SLC Tournament and reached NCAAs for the first time in program history. Martin scored a goal in the quarterfinal match and had an assist in the championship. She earned the team’s Husky Hustle Award in 2014 and was named Great West First Team All-Conference as well as Newcomer of the Year in 2012. Martin has played in 60 career games with 57 starts, and she has logged over 5,000 career minutes. In 2013, Martin was part of a backline that allowed just over a goal a game.