By Jennifer T. Allen

Megan Martin, a political science alum, stepped foot on the University of Kentucky campus in 2013 and knew it was the place for her. 

“I’m from Louisville and toured a few schools in the state,” she said. “I really liked Lexington and how the campus was walkable. I liked how it was easy to stay connected to campus life as a student.”

Martin was also drawn to the College of Arts and Sciences political science department.

“Political science gave me outlets for all my interests. I chose political science because it has elements of history, problem solving and current events,” she said. “It was applicable in ways that were happening currently and looked to the future. It’s an ever-evolving discipline, and I knew that I could take the skills I would learn with me anywhere.” 

Martin learned early in her freshman year that she was more interested in nonprofit management. She pivoted, added minors in economics and art studio, earned her Certified Nonprofit Professional credential and worked to get internships in the field. 

Martin’s first internship was with The Living Arts & Science Center her junior year. 

“It was really interesting and focused on the arts and education side. There were grant-funded programs and a lot of community outreach involved,” she said. “It was a nice entrance to event planning and fundraising, which solidified my interest in doing something community-oriented after graduation.” 

During her senior year, Martin interned at the Plantory, an innovative nonprofit coworking space. That experience added knowledge about navigating grants to her resume.

“When I was there it had a hub feeling with about 40 nonprofits and programs being incubated there,” she said. “Many organizations were navigating grants, whether they were private grants or federal grants. I liked learning about those systems, and it has proven to be a super transferable skill.”

Martin also gained experience about professional boards while at the Plantory through a program called “Get on Board.” The program looked for board members who would be considered “nontraditional” to give them training in understanding how boards of directors operate, and ultimately place them on community boards.

“The program was designed to help diversify boards in terms of age, experience and background,” Martin said. The program taught participants about  fundraising, governance, financials, strategic planning and other tools to strengthen your skills as a board member.

After graduation in 2017, Martin began work in the development department for the Lexington Public Library Foundation, the fundraising arm of the library. She then moved to work for the Girl Scouts as a community recruitment coordinator before working in media sales for TOPS Marketing for six years.  

“My time in media sales gave me experience working with local businesses to figure out how to effectively tell their stories and promote them,” she said. 

Since last fall, Martin has served as the marketing and project manager for VisitLEX, the convention and visitors bureau for Lexington. “It’s a multifaceted role,” she explained. “By collaborating with multiple businesses and industries, we tell the story of Lexington and the Bluegrass region, attracting visitors and driving significant economic impact.”

Thinking back on her education at UK, Martin felt her studies prepared her well. 

“The liberal studies aspect in the College of Arts and Sciences taught me that you can always peel back another layer and ask questions, figure out who can connect you to resources and how to talk to them,” she said. “VisitLEX has many stakeholders in Lexington who depend on income from travelers and visitors to our community. Political science gave me the skills and understanding to look at what people react to positively and negatively, and how that can affect public perception.”

Martin didn’t know that her decision to attend UK would lead to a career promoting the city of her alma mater. 

“Early on as a student, I hadn’t expected Lexington to become home, but I quickly found so much to love and now I’ve lived here for over 10 years. I love that I get to share the story of this city every day,” she said.