While the traditional path after high school is college, for some the military is a better option. For Restorative Justice counselor Julio Martinez, it meant working through some challenges before coming back to Alisal.

Martinez was born in Salinas, California. During his time in high school, he said he wasn’t the best student. He mostly focused on his sports, as that was all he thought about during his time at high school. “My mindset and my priorities were sports,” he said. “So I made school a little hard for myself.” 

 Martinez participated in 3 sports – football, basketball, and baseball. While he enjoyed playing all of them, football was one of the most memorable sports, since he won the first championship with that team. “Winning that championship was cool,” he said. “It was an overwhelming feeling, man, of like, some Eastside kids did something.”

Although school wasn’t always easy, he still found things he enjoyed at Alisal. He built strong connections with people, like the principal, Candy McCarthy, who believed in him and pushed him to succeed. Her support helped him gain more confidence and stay motivated throughout high school. “We had a great relationship,” he said. “She gave me consistent support, even through tough times. Honestly, there were more bad moments than good. She always held me accountable, but never in a negative way. Instead, she pushed me by saying things like, ‘I know you can be better. I know you will be better.’ “

After graduating in 2005, Martinez joined the Army, a decision he says gave him structure and direction. “It’s exactly what I needed to lay a really good foundation for the rest of my life,” he said.

The Army helped him focus on his future and what could come next. He was deployed to Iraq and was in the Army for 4 years. 

He worked in the infantry most of the time he was there and he got out of the Army during 2010. “Being in the Army really was tough,” he said. “But it was a challenge I needed to create a direction for myself.”

Fresh out of the Army, Martinez wanted to continue his knowledge at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) in 2012. While at school, he was unsure of what to pursue for his future. But during this time, he had advantages because of the military, he received monthly housing allowance, which meant his school and housing was paid for. And he was hired as campus security, he was in charge of student safety and supervising the campus. His time as campus security didn’t last as long as he stopped working as campus security in 2016.

After leaving Alisal, Martinez began his career as a police officer in 2017. Serving on the force gave him a deeper understanding of community safety and the importance of protection, and what it truly takes to build trust between the law enforcement and the people they serve. 

He developed many skills while on the force, including how to handle emergency situations and how to serve his own community properly. After several years of being an officer, he received an opportunity to join Alisal. 

Carrying everything he learned in law enforcement, he accepted the offer and brought that experience back with him. It was a decision that would shape the next chapter of his life.

In 2023 he returned to Alisal. Coming back felt like coming home for Martinez, but it also gave him a new sense of purpose. Finding the position of the Restorative Justice program made him feel like he was home. “This is home to me, working with students who won or are trying to,” he said. 

He was hired as an assistant in the Restorative Justice program. The program is mainly focused on helping students academically, behaviorally, and most importantly socially emotionally. Primarily those who have bad grades or need someone to talk to about situations that are personal. “You know we all need a conversation or a little guidance sometimes, and I know I sure as hell needed it,” Martinez said. “So being able to provide that is fulfilling for me.”

Although the program eventually came to an end this year due to school funding issues, the impact it had on him stayed with him. His hunger in making students a better version of themselves got to him, which made him want to take over the position. “Just being able to be a consistent support system, I know the value of that,” he said.

Being able to work with teachers that were his teachers is an awesome experience that Martinez has been able to go through. “ I love it, man,” he said. “There are teachers on campus that I coached before, I love every bit of it man.” 

There are many teachers who have seen him grow up – Mr. Mendez, who was his sophomore English teacher, Mr. Patel, and Ms. Contreras. Him being able to come back and see these people is a memorable experience that feels different than other things. Like Ms. Conteras, who saw some of his reckless behavior as a young man, but now he gets to see her again and show her how he has grown from his past. 

Almost everything has changed since Martinez was a student. There are more buildings, like the Wellness Center. “We’re building trust where kids are gaining confidence to say, ‘I’m not okay,’ ” he said. “We’re building so much capacity where kids are no longer scared to speak up, and that’s powerful.”

What Martinez has enjoyed most about being back is serving as a pathway for students, someone they can rely on and look up to. 

Unfortunately, his coaching years are coming to an end at Alisal. For 14 years he was one of the coaches for both football and boys’ basketball. “Sports was my world, so I loved every bit of it,” he said. 

Starting the school year of 2026-27, Martinez will officially be the head coach of the girls’ basketball program, but he will still be a part of the Trojan family by continuing on working in the Restorative Justice Program.

After learning under Coach Gil, Martinez feels ready to lead his own program. The experience gave him the tools and confidence to put his own stamp on the game. “Coach Gil allowed me to grow through our boys program, and that helped me realize I have what it takes to run my own program,” he said.