Parlier senior pushes toward graduation after breast cancer diagnosis
A breast cancer diagnosis in her junior year pushed Bethany Martinez to focus harder on school, keep attending board meetings and keep graduation in sight in Parlier.
Bethany Martinez did not let a breast cancer diagnosis knock her off track. The Parlier senior said the scare sharpened her focus on graduation, turning a painful junior year into a sprint toward the finish line.
Martinez said her diagnosis came in May, after she woke up one night with burning pain and found a lump. Tests and a biopsy led doctors to diagnose her with breast cancer, and by July she had surgery to remove the tumor. Recovery was difficult, she said, because the tumor was larger than expected. Doctors now believe she may still have two additional tumors, and her oncologist is monitoring them before deciding the next step.
Even while juggling hospital visits and college classes, Martinez kept herself connected to school. She transferred to San Joaquin Valley High School at the end of her sophomore year after mental-health struggles began affecting her physical health and blood pressure. At the alternative public school in Parlier, she has used independent study to stay current on coursework and treats school as an outlet while she pushes through treatment.
That support has played out in a small setting. San Joaquin Valley High has about 62 students in grades 7-12, inside the Parlier Unified School District, which serves 3,226 students across seven schools. Martinez also has stayed visible in the community as the RoundUp queen, the annual town-fair student representative, and she attends monthly school board meetings to share updates about her experience.
San Joaquin Valley High principal Jose Garza said Martinez’s determination has been clear throughout her journey. Her story shows how a close school community in Fresno County can help a student keep going when life turns abruptly hard, with graduation still within reach even as treatment continues.
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