Meet Martin, the smallest member of Atascadero High School’s community. Standing at just 7 inches tall and weighing in at 5 ounces, Martin is made of clay—yet he’s determined to shape his life in the best way possible. Despite his size, Martin’s ambition is anything but small.

We sat down with him recently to chat about how things have been going for him on campus. Here’s what he had to say:

Martin shared that he’s been focusing on being more proactive, taking responsibility for his actions, and learning to concentrate on what he can control. His main inspiration is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and right now, he’s focused on Habit #1: Be Proactive.

“It’s easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed,” Martin explained.

This mindset is especially helpful for Martin as he navigates the challenges of school. In this episode, Martin finds himself feeling weighed down by his workload, and his grades are slipping every time he checks them. But instead of letting the stress defeat him, he chooses to own his mistakes from the past month, accepts responsibility, and focuses on what he can change in the moment. Despite feeling a little discouraged, Martin resists the urge to wallow in frustration. Instead, he takes a deep breath, shifts his perspective, and gets to work.

Martin’s journey is a reminder that even when life feels overwhelming, the power to make a change lies within us. Stay tuned for his next update, and as always, stay classy, Atascadero!