Summer School Is On The Agenda
Lakeland, FL - Dylan attended summer school on July 6th, lucky for him, he wasn't a student this time. Mrs. O'Neal Wiedenman asked Dylan to be a special guest for her summer school 'reading racers' students. And with a racing theme Dylan wanted his brother (fellow race car driver), Brandon Martin, to join him to visit with the students. It would be the students' last day of summer school and many had achieved enough reading points in the program to have special recognition for their efforts. Dylan and Brandon would be part of their reward for earning enough points. Mrs. O'Neal Wiedenman was one of Dylan's teachers when he attended Blake
Academy in his elementary years. Many of the teachers Dylan had were quite aware of the challenge that he faced with his racing schedule and school. They were very patient with him and his absences, but those didn't come without sacrifice. Dylan would take his school work with him on the road when he traveled to race his quarter-midget race car around the country. Many times Dylan would be out of school on Fridays and Mondays and it left the teachers with a great challenge of how to educate Dylan. When he was in school he was interested in very little except racing. Parent-teacher conferences came with many suggestions from his parents for the teachers to offer him material with racing themes (racing books/stories, racing relevant math problems, etc.). One of Dylan's memories of Mrs. O'Neal Wiedenman was bringing her to tears in her quest to find what would work for Dylan and draw his interest in schoolwork. Years later, she asked him to be a special guest for her reading students. Dylan was truly honored to do it. He's able to share a perspective with the students that many don't get to hear. Not everybody who comes to visit their classrooms were good students.
Dylan's able to share his struggles with the students to provide them encouragement that with perseverance and hard work, you can accomplish the goal of education and graduation. He was not a textbook student and he was blessed to have teachers that strive to fit their lesson plans into something that would work for Dylan. Mrs. O'Neal Wiedenman had this to say about Dylan's visit, "The kids had a great time! Thanks for being an inspiration to them. I'm proud of you!". With the many challenges Dylan threw his teachers' way, they are proud of him and how he is able to share those challenges with students and encourage them to follow their dreams. Brandon and Dylan spent one-on-one time with the students during their lunch and shared stories about their years in the classroom and on the track. The students had some really good and funny questions for the boys. The students got a good laugh from Dylan and Brandon sharing about what they'd do if the other wrecked one. The students had lots of stories about their sibling rivalries. It was a fun time for all. Thank you Mrs. O'Neal Wiedenman.
UPDATE - For the many who are wanting to know Dylan's progress on his Open Wheel Modified.....it's still in the build stage. It's a slow process for sure, but Dylan is determined to get it built. When you're doing it without sponsors, the speed of the build is at a much slower pace. But rest assured he will get it complete. He's anxious to get it on the track and start competing in a class he hasn't tackled before. He'll be looking for businesses who want to partner with him on his new quest. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to be a part of Dylan Martin Racing.