New York Jets Outside Linebacker Joins Harlem School Of The Arts Board of Directors

NEW YORK - May 30, 2018 - PRLog -- The Harlem School of the Arts (HSA), is proud to announce the addition of New York Jets, outside linebacker, Joshua Martin to its Board of Directors.   Martin, 26, a native of Houston, Texas, and a graduate of New York's Columbia University, with a degree in anthropology, becomes the youngest member of HSA's current board.

"Josh is a welcomed addition to the HSA family," said Janice Savin Williams, Vice Chair of the board. "We are all looking forward to working with him, and looking forward to benefiting from all of the valuable contributions he will bring."

Excited to be a part of HSA, Josh admits he is eager to dive into his new role.  Being able to leverage his status in the sports world to benefit the organization is highly personal for Josh, who knows firsthand the importance of having access to the arts, and what it meant to his development.

"My musical journey began in middle school where having access to musical instruments led to a love of a number of them (trombone, alto saxophone, the tuba), and with that came the opportunity to join the school band," he recalls.  And while he

admits he was no musical prodigy, what he gained from that experience was the confidence to step outside of his comfort zone.  As well, he developed a great sense of commitment and accomplishment that comes when you work at perfecting anything you set as a goal. "Those lessons carried through to my educational experience and now into my professional career and my over-all life," he says.

As a new member of the board, Josh has been quite impressed by the tremendously gifted group of young people he has come in contact with.  Walking through the 40,000 thousand square feet facility located on Saint Nicholas Avenue, Josh cannot help but admire the confidence and the pride with which students at the 54-year-old Harlem School of the Arts carry themselves.

He has already begun the on-boarding process by attending a number of HSA events.  Most recently, he was part of the organization's Spring Gala which was an homage to the success of the Black Panther movie, titled Wakanda Fest, and he attended a performance of JAZZLAND: in Concert, a musical starring members of HSA's Dorothy Maynor Singers, co-written by Charles Leipart, Scott Crockett and actor/producer Tamara Tunie, who also directed the production.

Josh is quickly getting to know the many facets of this vital organization, the students, the programs, the partnerships and the impact that it has had and continues to have on the community, and in shaping the next generation of creative thinkers and innovative leaders.  He has already identified a few specific areas where he wants to concentrate his efforts and believes he can make a profound difference.

As an advocate of financial literacy, he is interested in becoming engaged with the program that HSA has set up.  Helping young people understand the value and fundamental principles of money management and how to make the most of their hard-earned dollars is what motivates him.  This knowledge is important no matter what career trajectory you decide to follow.

Beyond financial literacy, Josh would like to use his platform as a high-profile player in the NFL to highlight the importance of arts education in communities like Harlem where those resources are often not readily available. Additionally, because of his strong affinity for music education, he would like to work on helping to promote HSA's music programs, and to shine a spotlight in their direction.

Michelle Fizer Peterson, a member of HSA's Board, and one of the first people that Joshua's office reached out to had this to say, "HSA prepares students for life & leadership. I think having the visibility that Joshua brings as a professional athlete, on our board is another powerful example of what can be accomplished when someone works seriously towards achieving their goals."

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About HSA

New York City's premier community arts institution, the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) stands uniquely apart as the sole provider of arts education in four disciplines: music, dance, theatre, art & design, all within an award-winning 37,000 square foot facility.  The School's reputation for artistic rigor and excellence attracts students of diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds from all five New York City boroughs, including Westchester County, and the tristate area, which

includes Connecticut and New Jersey. HSA's alumni and faculty are counted among the most talented leaders in the arts.

For over 50-years, HSA has enriched the lives of tens of thousands of young people ages 2-18, through world-class training in the arts. HSA offers its students the freedom to find and develop the artist and citizen within themselves, in an environment that teaches discipline, stimulates creativity, builds self-confidence and adds a dimension of beauty to their lives, empowering them to become the creative thinkers and innovative leaders of tomorrow. To learn more about the Harlem School of the Arts, please visit http://www.HSAnyc.org.