Jalen Martin ’23 is from Chicago, Illinois, and majoring in business.

“I decided on majoring in business because I was originally in sport management prior to my time at Holy Cross but we only have that as a minor. I figured that a degree in this field would still allow me the option of career choices that I could also access with a sport management degree,” said Martin. “Within the area of business, I have shown the most interest in are marketing and advertisement so it’s realistic for me to pursue those areas.”

“As opposed to the other schools I’ve been to, the main attraction to Holy Cross was that it’s close enough to home for it to be a short trip when I want to go back and far enough for me to still be in a different environment. I was also attracted to the basketball program and its winning history in recent years,” notes Martin.

“Other than men’s basketball, I am a part of the Black Student Union. I’m new to the group and not aware of my duties yet but I joined so that I can be more connected with the very small community of black students on campus,” said Martin.

“A memorable moment that had had a huge impact in my life is getting benched by my coach my senior year during games where I didn’t play to the best of my ability. Even if I was playing fairly well, he would take me out of the game if he sensed I wasn’t giving my all and this has molded me into who I am today because it showed me that you must always do things to the best of your ability every opportunity you get. Life is too short to take shortcuts,” recalls Martin.

“My goal is to stay involved with basketball whether that’s playing professionally, coaching, or training,” said Martin. “In addition to that, I want to start a career in marketing or advertisement.”