Alison Martinez

The story of why, when and how you decided to move here (or stay here): I moved here with my family in high school when my dad took a job at Xerox. I went to college locally then moved out of the country for a while to teach English. When deciding where to go next, I moved back to Rochester to be with my family, and it was a great decision.

Where you went to undergraduate college / graduate school: B.A. anthropology, University of Rochester; master’s in public administration, SUNY College at Brockport

Where you work now and your job title: Annual giving manager, Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill

Where do you live? City of Rochester

What do you like about life in Rochester? I like the size. You can run into people you know just about anywhere. There are the benefits of an urban environment (diversity, great restaurants, places to shop) within proximity to rural places for hiking, kayaking and mountain biking.

What do you do for fun? Spending time outdoors, trips to the public market, arts and crafts when I have time.

What would you tell a college student (who is trying to decide where to live after graduation) about what life is like here post-college? It’s very affordable—with good credit, young people can buy a house pretty easily. There is plenty for young adults to do and lots of places to attend graduate school.

What’s the best first step to making friends and finding your way around? It’s important to connect to groups with young adults to make new friends and make Rochester feel like home.
[Posted in 2008]