Susan Aguilar-Martinez  -  Love of Reading Started Early

Susan grew up in Lincoln Heights, California, where one of her favorite pastimes was reading. She developed this love from her mother, who, though not formally educated, came from a family with a deep Catholic upbringing that emphasized literacy, requiring everyone to read well enough to understand the Bible. 

From an early age, Susan's mother read to her in Spanish, sharing works by authors like Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Miguel de Cervantes's famous Don Quixote, and One Thousand and One Nights. 

On weekends, Susan would make the nine-block walk to the Lincoln Heights Branch Library, a beautiful building constructed in 1916 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie in the Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance styles. 

Libraries became an essential hub for Susan throughout her life.  Moving around the country for business reasons with her husband, Manny, her first stops were the local libraries to get herself and her children acclimated to their new environments. 

Moving to Beaumont

That was certainly the case when the Martinez family moved to Beaumont in 2007.  Access to the public library quickly proved invaluable. Through participation in preschool to teen activities, Beaumont Library played a critical role in helping Susan and her four children establish roots and forge lasting friendships.

Today, as the Career Readiness Coordinator for Beaumont Unified School District, Susan continues to use the library as a resource to support her work with students.  She says, “I am eager to continue supporting the library's efforts and be a resource for community members of all ages.”