Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
For Fernando Martinez, punk has always been more than music. It has shaped how he sees the world, challenges assumptions and understands himself. But when the two-time Cal State San Bernardino alumnus began pursuing his master's degree in communication studies, he initially set aside that passion in favor of what he thought was a more conventional academic subject.
"I was beginning to hand myself over to conventionality," Martinez recalled. "Like, oh, I have to study this way, and this is what a scholar needs to be."
Fortunately, his professors had other ideas.
Rather than steering Martinez toward traditional research topics, faculty members encouraged him to explore what genuinely interested him. That encouragement led to a graduate thesis examining punk culture and its influence on his identity, worldview and personal growth – and reinforced a lesson that would shape his approach to teaching: Education is most meaningful when students have the freedom to discover and develop their own voices.
Today, Martinez is a communication studies lecturer at CSUSB, where he's putting that lesson into practice by encouraging students to pursue their interests, question assumptions and take ownership of their education.
Finding his voice through research
Martinez's journey to CSUSB began at Mt. San Jacinto College. He transferred to Cal State San Bernardino to complete his bachelor's degree in communication studies and later returned for his master's, knowing an advanced degree would help him achieve his goal of teaching at the college level.
Initially drawn to CSUSB because of its proximity to home, he found an academic community that encouraged him to explore his interests and pursue his ambitions.
Julie Taylor, a communication studies professor, recognized his interest in teaching and encouraged him to pursue graduate studies at CSUSB. She also introduced him to the university's Speaking Center, where he would work as a tutor.
Other faculty members helped Martinez recognize the academic value of his personal interests.
When he initially considered researching relationships for his master's thesis, one professor encouraged him to reconsider the subject that had fascinated him for years: punk.
"Whenever I would mention punk to any of my professors, none of them flinched," Martinez said. "They were always encouraging. If anything, they would ask, 'Can you tell me about that?'"
Working with his thesis committee, chaired by Charles Metts, associate professor of communication studies, Martinez used autoethnography, a research method that examines personal experiences within a broader cultural context, to explore how punk had influenced his identity and worldview. His research analyzed 19 punk songs, examining how music can challenge assumptions, encourage self-reflection and inspire personal growth. Rather than attempting to define what punk means for everyone, Martinez focused on what it means to him.
"Other than my friends and family, nothing means more to me than punk," he said. "It's informed my life and who I am and how I see the world."
Metts encouraged Martinez to develop his research independently, giving him the freedom to explore the subject through his own perspective.
"He allowed me to study and research in my own way," Martinez said. "I think that was just his way of allowing me to honor and respect my voice."
The experience reinforced a lesson that continues to influence his approach to education: Meaningful learning requires curiosity, self-reflection and a willingness to challenge one's own assumptions.
"We do a lot of research, and we want to change the world, but we don't want to change ourselves," Martinez said. "As far as I've interpreted punk, that's where the change happens. It happens within."
Helping students discover their voices
While exploring his identity through research, Martinez was also developing his skills as an educator.
Through CSUSB's graduate teaching associate program, he spent three years teaching oral communication, leading eight course sections. He also worked as a tutor in the university's Speaking Center, helping students strengthen their public speaking and communication skills.
Those experiences provided valuable classroom preparation, but they also challenged his assumptions about teaching.
"When I started as a GTA, as an instructor in this program, I thought I knew a lot about teaching," he recalled.
His supervisor, Jo Anna Grant, helped him develop the tools and techniques needed to lead a classroom while encouraging him to maintain his individuality as an instructor.
"She always allowed me to have my voice," Martinez said.
That guidance resonated with his appreciation for punk's emphasis on individuality, participation and questioning established systems. Martinez began recognizing connections between those principles and his developing teaching philosophy.
He wanted students to understand that education is a collaborative process and that they have an important role in shaping their own learning experiences.
He said he hopes students will say to themselves, "This is my education. What am I going to do to make it the best experience?"
Now, as a CSUSB lecturer, Martinez has the opportunity to put that philosophy into practice.
"I want my students to feel empowered," he said. "To feel like they have a voice, that they have some control or a lot of control in their life."
Bringing his journey full circle
Martinez credits his professors, classmates and fellow graduate students with making his CSUSB experience one of the most meaningful chapters of his life. What began as a practical decision to earn a degree became an opportunity to discover his academic interests, develop his teaching abilities and build lasting relationships.
His journey from student to lecturer reflects the lasting influence of faculty mentorship and the opportunities available at CSUSB to transform personal interests into professional purpose.
"That's why I want to teach," Martinez said, "because that's what teachers have done for me."
Watch Fernando Martinez share how his passion for punk became the focus of his graduate research at CSUSB and inspired his approach to learning, teaching and creativity.