For more than 30 years, Kia Martin ‘98 has built upon shared values with her husband Demond to strengthen Black and Brown communities, create opportunities for others and lead apurposeful life.

When Kia Martin chose to attend UNC Charlotte, she was the first person in her family to pursue a college education.

The Winston-Salem native, raised solely by her mother, was motivated by higher education and especially attracted by the UNC Charlotte’s University Transition Opportunities Program . The six-week summer collegiate experience fast-tracks incoming freshmen to build relationships with their peers, faculty and advisors; gain exposure to campus resources; and develop study and college survival skills.

Martin’s participation in the program would end up changing the course of her life in ways she couldn’t have possibly predicted. Martin’s UTOP counselor was her future husband, Demond Martin ’97. He encouraged her to focus on her studies and strongly consider taking a break from her then boyfriend.

“I remember getting on a payphone and calling my boyfriend and saying, ‘My counselor said I should break up with you and focus on my studies. I need to be focused.’ And I broke up with him,” said Martin, who graduated with a degree in elementary education. “Shortly thereafter, Demond became my math tutor. We didn't start dating until after the program, but he was my tutor from that time on. As soon as we went home after the program, we had our first date at Pizza Hut, and we have been together since.”

Core values of faith, family, service and purpose serve as the bond that after 31 years together forge a partnership where strengthening communities and giving back are central to their life’s work.

“Our stories parallel so much from the time we met,” Martin said. “We both were in UTOP, then I became a UTOP counselor. We graduated from UNC Charlotte, then we both went to Harvard. He's at Harvard Business School. I'm at Harvard Ed School.(She earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Language and Literacy.) And Demond stays in Boston and ends up at Adage Capital. Our plan was to come here and stay for two years and go right back to North Carolina. That was the plan. And then life happened. And we've been in Boston ever since.”

As an educator, Martin has taught fourth grade at Paw Creek Elementary in Charlotte, second grade at an elementary school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and as a college professor at Wheelock College, Simmons College, Leslie University and Harvard.

With her husband, Demond, she is dedicated to erasing gaps created by racial and social injustice and is active in philanthropy work that supports Black and Brown communities.

UNC Charlotte recently spoke with Martin about this work, the impact of a supportive family, being an outlier and her strong relationship with the University.

Here are her observations – lightly edited for clarity:

The importance of family:

My family was always there, always. I feel like my family went to UNC Charlotte. I went to college with three carloads of people. That's how many people moved me into my small little college room because everyone was always supportive.

Whatever I thought I wanted to do, it was always a yes, you can do it. We're going to be there for you. I grew up knowing that people are with you, people love and support you, people cheer you on and people encourage you regardless of what else is going on. People drop everything to be there for you. That's just the way I was raised. For me, it's in my bones. That's what you do. There's no other option but to give to the last of what you have.

Connection to UNC Charlotte:

There are so many faculty and staff at Charlotte who poured into us. From the day we stepped on campus with Dr. Herman Thomas and the UTOP program, he gave up his time, his family was there, whatever he could do for us, he did it and still does to this day. Whatever he can do for us, he does it. Chuck Lynch, former vice chancellor for student affairs; the chancellor, everyone always did whatever they could do to help us become the leaders we are. We had dinner at their homes and we attended events.

We had dinner at their homes and we attended events. They introduced us to so many people; the exposure we got because of the staff at UNC Charlotte, we wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. I just think they saw something in us; that's just how the student life was at this University.

Whatever we could be engaged in and be involved in, we were. Demond becomes student body president. I'm Black Student Union president. He is joining a fraternity; I'm joining a sorority. And through those organizations, that's where we did community service. That's where we learned a lot of leadership. We learned so many things there through the leadership programs, community service and leadership roles we had. I feel that [the Charlotte] family is just everything to us. We are connected. That is just who we are.

Her role in philanthropic work:

A big piece for me is I don't like being engaged in philanthropy where I'm not going to be able to be hands-on and connected. That's key and crucial and important for my role. I don't just want to give the money and not know, connect with or engage with the people. Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, says there's ‘power of proximity,’ and I firmly believe that.

For our partnership as philanthropists, Demond and I look at what we can do to make life better for Black and Brown communities. It's always been our focus. It will always be our focus. This is directly tied to who we are.

Outliers vs. unicorns in terms of giving back

Demond and I know we're outliers, but we're not unicorns. We know of many, many other successful young Black adults right now who [lack] exposure to opportunities to succeed. That is why we became outliers. We are not unique or alone, others do this. There must be someone above you who's going to be willing to pull you up, right?

For us, people might say, ‘you did what?’ And we're like, yeah, because we've had people time and time and time again, we've had mentors who have co-signed for loans because our parents could not co-sign for a loan for us to go to Harvard. We have had people who have done unthinkable things for us. I feel like you must have a person who is willing to pick you up, who's willing to pull you up, who's willing to lift you and put you into place if you don't want to be there. And that's how we talk to young people. We're like, no, you must go out. You must reach out if the opportunity's there, and even if it's not there, go look for it because it's possible.

Michael J. Solender is a features writer in Charlotte, N.C.