Among many foreign language university teachers, Professor Rob Martinsen was recognized as one of the state’s standout language teachers for his hard work, dedication, and passion for teaching.
Each year, the Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA) honors foreign language teachers who demonstrate outstanding teaching, leadership, and advocacy for language learning. In February 2025, BYU’s own Professor Rob Martinsen (Spanish Language Learning and Teaching) won UFLA’s Teacher of the Year Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions to language learning.
Honored, Yet Humbled
Martinsen was nominated for the award by Teaching Professor Nieves Knapp (Spanish and Portuguese) and was required to submit a portfolio featuring his students’ works and his teaching philosophy. Feeling deeply grateful for both the nomination and award, Martinsen describes that the honor represents the culmination of his efforts and hard work. “I would teach for free. It’s that enjoyable for me,” Martinsen says. “I try and give my students a good experience, and it’s wonderful to be recognized. It gives you a little bit of extra motivation to keep going.”
In some ways, Martinsen believes that the Teacher of the Year Award isn’t just for him; it is a representation of BYU and the people he works with. “I have so many wonderful colleagues that do such a good job, that sacrifice so much for their students and are so skilled,” Martinsen says. “There is a strong feeling of being on a team in the [Spanish & Portuguese] Department and in the College. Everybody does really want to be successful in creating something positive and meaningful for our students,” he says.
Finding His Passion
Throughout his life, Martinsen hadn’t always planned on becoming a teacher. While serving his mission in Spain, he discovered that he enjoyed teaching, but after returning home, he didn’t consider pursuing education as a career. Interestingly enough, he later obtained a job teaching English as a second language to adult immigrants in Arizona. “For whatever reason, it was the funnest thing I’d ever done. I didn’t have any training, any background, so I don’t know if I did a good job. But I really enjoyed it, and the students were amazing,” Martinsen says. “That kind of prompted me to say, ‘Okay, I think I do want to go into teaching.’”
In Martinsen’s teaching career, he often reflects on the most important piece of advice he received—not from a classroom, but from his time as a counselor at Especially for Youth (EFY), a Church-sponsored summer camp. There, he was cautioned, “Don’t go into seminary teaching because you love the scriptures. Go into it because you love the students.”
Though he didn’t pursue seminary teaching, he carried into his career the belief that a teacher’s goal is to help students and, above all, to love them. “That’s always stuck with me,” Martinsen says, “and I think that’s the main joy I get: this interaction with students as they grow and learn. It’s amazing to watch.”
Learn more about Martinsen here.