The Catalyst

By Sali Leonhart, Reporter

When it comes to making the grades and setting goals above and beyond, Martin Zupan is willing to do just about anything to succeed and accomplish in not only extra curricular actives, but school as well. To the naked eye, he was thrilled to be announced The Student of the Month at Fruita Monument as any other average student would be. To Martin Zupan, this nomination has made him realize that his hard work, dedication and inspiration from his parents have finally paid off.

Being the oldest child of Tom and MariaSol Zupan, Martin knows that it is important for him to be a good role model and set high standards for his younger sister, Nicole, who is currently a freshman at The Fruita 8/9. Zupan looks up to his parents and admires their way of life, accomplishments and enthusiasm for what he decides to do with his life. Whether Zupan is shuffling soccer balls down the field or getting honor roll grades, his parents are always proud to be beside of him and watch him accomplish his goals and dreams one by one.

As years of school and education progressed on for Martin, when it came to making the grades and setting higher standards for himself every year, Zupan never had quite the struggle most would think. To Zupan, intelligence and work ethic came naturally and with power of enthusiasm for school, he always was trying his hardest to get the grades he could look back on and be proud of.

“My goal is always to try to get A’s and B’s.”

Mathematics, being Zupan’s favorite subject in school, most would think…why? Although, math is confusing and unbarring for some, Zupan has always found working with numbers and problem solving to be the most trouble-free.

“I’m a math-geek! When I was growing up, my dad always helped me with it. Which I think that helped me out a lot. Now, it’s kind of easy for me.”

Being an upper classman now, Zupan finds it easier to come to school with excitement and thrill. Like any other one of his peers at FMHS, Zupan loves the fact that he can finally sleep in longer, now that he does not have to ride the bus to school every morning- he can drive!

“It’s kind of a cool feeling.”

Zupan, as a junior, is faced with the eating question we all must answer at some point: “What do you want to be when you get older?”

“I do want to go to college, still not sure where though. I’d like to get a track scholarship. And I think I’d like to study something with engineering. Like I said, math is my favorite subject, so it only makes sense to do something I enjoy doing. Then, the other day, I was being an aide for an algebra 2 class, and I realized I find joy in tutoring and helping other students out. Also, I was told for the first time that I would be a good teacher. So who knows? I think to myself, I might become an international math teacher and travel the world teaching over seas, kind of like the teachers I grew up having.”

Growing up, the average American child’s life would consist of cartoons, cereal, one or two town houses within the same state, their first years of school at the local elementary or kindergarten, and meeting and growing up with the same kids since who knows how long. Martin Zupan’s childhood, however, was no where near normal; his childhood could be thought of to be one fantasy and phenomenal adventure. On May 2, 1993 Martin Zupan was born in the city of Huston, Texas. Shortly after his birth, Tom and MariaSol Zupan packed up their belongings and traveled south to South America and settled in Quito, Ecuador. Living there for eight years, Tom’s job carried the Zupan’s south to Lima, Peru. After a few years in the capital of Peru, the Zupan’s packed their bags again and headed off to the Middle East, which carried them to Muscat, Oman. Living in Oman for two years, and the demand of Tom’s job, the Zupan’s packed their bags for hopefully the last time. Although, one would think Zupan’s would move somewhere exotic, they ended up in Grand Junction, Colorado. Settling in Grand Junction, the family has been living here since Martin’s freshman year.

“We really never know when we are going to move, it could be tomorrow.” Zupan explains.

With as much traveling and different experiences, Zupan has grown to love and be inspired by the variety of cultures he has been a part of and lived with as he moved from country to country. Moving has inspired Zupan to dream of traveling when he is older and experience even more life changing ways the world has to hold underneath its barring sheets of land.

Although Martin Zupan grows and accomplishes more goals and dreams each year, Martin is still just an average teenager in Grand Junction, Colorado. A teenager that enjoys biking, hiking, swimming, out-doors, summer, hanging out with friends, playing soccer, playing video games, and munching on his all time favorite, The Bacon Cheese Burger, just like any common sixteen year old boy would, Martin Zupan is a very “chill” kid who is going to “keep doing what I’m doing.”