Mr. Gil Martinez served the Brophy community through so many different avenues. He was a college counselor, student mentor, Kairos leader, club moderator, and much, much more. In each of these roles, however, he left an indelible impact on those around him.
“He was a person whose life was oriented toward the service of others and building people up, with his entire adult life spent in service of some kind. He was generous. He was known among students. Many students knew him even though he wasn’t their counselor. He just had a way of being present to students,” said President Mr. Bob Ryan.
Bringing his expertise in college admissions from the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Undergraduate Admissions, Mr. Martinez was hired and began working at Brophy as a college counselor in the 2013-2014 school year. In this role, he worked with students from their sophomore through senior years in their journeys toward higher education.
“He was really a well respected counselor not just by current students and families, but by admissions representatives around the country,” said Mr. Ryan.
Behind the scenes, Mr. Martinez played a critical role in facilitating the operations of the Brophy’s Counseling Department. He tracked the college acceptances and enrollments of all students, and developed a system of assessing matriculation trends year to year. Additionally, he administered Brophy’s SAT program.
About his impact as a counselor, Mr. Ryan said, “He helped elevate the work of our counseling department and provide really stellar guidance to our students.”
Mr. Martinez also brought a number of students who weren’t his counselees under his wing, meeting with them and providing guidance. One of those was Colin Zimmerman ’25, who got to know him during his junior year.
“He taught me how to slow down, analyze a problem and think through it logically rather than freaking out and being overly emotional, something I struggled with for a long time. He also helped me learn how to take life one day at a time, never worrying too much about the future or other things going on around me,” Zimmerman said.
Mr. Martinez’s service extended to the LGBTQ+ community on campus. While he initially ministered to an informal collection of students, he and Ms. Sue Hornbeck eventually worked together to found the Dignity Club, which provides a support space for Brophy’s queer community. Ronin Patel ’25 is the current president of the club, and witnessed firsthand Mr. Martinez’s influence.
“He always wanted to create a place where students could openly discuss their identities and experiences without fear of judgment,” said Patel. “He always made sure to take the time to check in with each member individually. He wanted everyone to feel seen, heard, and cared for.”
Mr. Martinez was a consistent presence as a faculty leader on Kairos retreats. Mr. John Burns went on many of these retreats with him, and was struck by, “His genuine care for each student, for each individual,” he said. “His heart and his mind was just in the experience, for each one of the students that he came in contact with.”
When asked to sum up Mr. Martinez and his legacy, Mr. Burns said, “I think he modeled what an Ignatian educator should be.” Mr. Ryan said, “He just had a profound impact on students and their families, through the relationships he built and the ways that he was present to students…He was a very moderating and stable presence of support for people.”
To Zimmerman, what Mr. Martinez brought to those around him stemmed from a personal conviction. “A kind soul who loved giving to others. He loved life so much that he had to help others realize the same love of living that he had.”
