My Story

My name is Lilian Martin. I'm a seventeen year-old classically trained dancer, UYHE harpist, writer, and beekeeper!

Then

I was born in Detroit on April 28, 2004 to Naomi Hawker and James Martin. My mother and I moved down to Atlanta in 2006 and my father has recently relocated to Memphis.

Now

I am a student at Charles R. Drew Charter School, in Atlanta, and I started attending Drew at age 7. In regards to extra-curricular activities, I have been dancing for 15 years, playing the harp for 7 years, and am a background actor for Central Casting(Disney+, Netflix, etc). I plan to go to college and double major in Biology(w/ a specialization in Botany) and Geology. I would also like to continue my artistic strudies in harp and dance.

Beekeeping

In 9th grade I had the opportunity to join the Beekeeping club at Drew, which has forever changed the way I think about bees. While the club was disbanded at the end of 10th grade, my interest in beekeeping has lead me to incredible opportunities, such as community engagement and even internships at Georgia Tech!

Botany

Plants have been in my home for as long as I can remember. Eventually, I realized that taking care of them and having them around me brought me joy. I began to collect plants to the point where we had to buy tables and benches to put the pots. Recently, I have been sharing my collection with anyone who asks! This passion for plants has led me to my future career: Botany! I hope my future will be filled with even more plants!

Dance

My mother placed me in Ballet classes starting at the age of 3, and I've been in love with the art ever since. I have been a student at the Decatur School of Ballet since I was 6, and am currently a company member with Decatur City Dance. While dance will not be my career, I hope to still continue with it going into college, as it brings me both joy and therapy.

Harp

I never thought I would have the opportunity of playing an instrument, especially the harp, until 6th grade when I walked by the music room. I walked in with my mother and introduced myself to the harp teacher. She let me play a few notes and I've been attached to the harp ever since! Besides being the most beautiful and unique instrument I've ever heard, it brings me joy just to play with my friends.

My Personal Role Models

Katherine Siochi

is an award-winning solo-harpist and is a newly appointed principal harpist of the Sarasota Orchestra. She began her musical studies when she was 5 years old, and began learning the harp at age 9. She holds her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in harp performance from The Juilliard School.

Maia & Alex Shibutani

are world-renowned, 2x Olympic medalist, figure skaters. Although I have never had the opportunity to take lessons in skating, I have always loved to watch the sport. Besides their impressive careers, the siblings have recently released a new children's book series, Kudo Kids!

Maria Khoreva

is a Russian ballerina and the first soloist of the Mariinsky since her entrance into the company in 2018. She studied and graduated the Vaganova Ballet Academy, a highly prestigious school in St. Petersburg, and has also recently released 'Teach me Ballet!', a book about the fundamentals of ballet.

Some of my Favorite Quotes

"People think that Detroit is this barren wasteland. While there are parts that are not as nice as others, the misconception is not true. It is definitely not a thriving community in Detroit, but it is getting there. There is a lot of heart and love in this city." ― Steven Yeun

"Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world."― Hillary Clinton

"Scars. A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had healed."― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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