Lilly Martinez
By Clara Frank
On the second day of a new chapter, Lilly Martinez sat on a blue bench across from me wearing a curious look on their face, rings wrapped around their fingers, and glasses on their nose. Initially Lilly appeared to be an average freshman who had stereotypical interests; Taylor Swift, Weezer, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. While these interests are shared among many, Lilly finds peace in the mundane.
Being a person who protects their own peace is a difficult feat for anyone regardless of age. Solitude is a state of mind frequented by Lilly no matter the place.
Constantly caught with a book in hand escaping from the real world, although their taste in books is just as real as their world; realistic fiction. In a world full of people who haven’t read since elementary school, it's refreshing to find a cultured teenager. Lilly shared that they have always been the head of their class. This high level of maturity and intelligence has led Lilly through their life well.
The maturity that Lilly has maintained has been proved through their mindset. Always placing value solely in people closest to them: rather than dwelling on people irrelevant to their life, has made Lilly a person who protects their peace. Daily habits and thought patterns keep Lilly from being affected by others emotions. Having trained themself to wait to be shown respect prior to giving respect, has allowed them to be less affected by others actions towards them.
Lilly tends to put more logic into relationships and thought than the average person. When doing this it protects them from negative influences from other people. Although, this amount of logic being applied to relationships doesn’t make Lilly fall short in their appreciation for others. “I think it's better to think about your actions before you do them, especially when it comes to other people and how it's going to affect their lives.” Lilly is a very considerate person who always thinks before they speak. Often contemplating a long while prior to answering a question.
Although, Lilly has not always protected their peace to the fullest extent. They have learned through many experiences and trial and error. Having the most epiphanies after covid, they realized that they liked to be alone while in the midst of hardship. This hardship provided Lilly with the stepping stones to find themself to the fullest extent.
While growing up Lilly was always smarter and more aware than they should have been. When asked about their childhood they said, “I was talking before I should have been talking” This level of awareness led to Lilly being a very kind and peculiar child. When they went trick or treating as a child, they would find something that they could see in every person's house to compliment them on. This level of kindness has carried on throughout Lilly’s life. Immediately upon meeting Lilly I was met with a compliment. A childhood friend of Lilly’s says, “They know me better than I know myself.” Having known Lilly since they were four years old, they are two peas in a pod.
Since becoming the age where people constantly ask questions about what's next, Lilly has decided to travel the world. Traveling after high school is a priority for Lilly. They have an immense amount of passion for the environment and for understanding peoples cultures. Lilly plans to visit anywhere they can while staying environmentally conscious. Lilly found their passion for the environment through their mother who always encouraged them to be passionate about nature.
With Lilly’s skills for protecting their peace and finding themselves in every situation, they are bound to do amazing things for the world. Even if the first step is to complete the treacherous trek of highschool, Lilly will find happiness wherever they go.
Lilly Martinez | January 31, 2024
