Reflections from Frank Martien ‘82

Characterizing our Calvert experience, the phrase “the three Rs” comes readily to mind and was personified by Mrs. Betsy Cissel. The program was rigorous. I can vividly recall our multiplication tables.  We learned from my classmate George Anderson’s sister, Susan Anderson Rogers ’78 as she personally demonstrated that solving from left to right and then right to left on the next line, in a serpentine fashion, was fastest. The new Luetkemeyer Planetarium, curated by Mr. George Cosman was fascinating and opened our aperture.  Speaking of the sky, Eric Harlan ’81 could look up from the playground and precisely identify any airplane overhead. Our Librarian, Mrs. Jeaneen Wingate, was always, always kind to me.  From our own class, I will say the same for Charlie Constable ’82.  Mr. Mike Paul was my favorite classroom teacher, and our class was fortunate enough to have him twice in Eighth Age and Ninth Age.  Perhaps Mr. Paul’s most profound lesson was at the beginning of school in Ninth Age. He simply stepped back, reverently handed our classmate, Key Compton ’82, the chalk and eraser, and quietly invited Key to share the horrific experience Key had that summer in an automobile accident where his grandmother passed away. This was perhaps the most powerful lesson I ever had at Calvert on multiple levels.

Reflecting upon all of this, I can certainly thank Calvert for paving the way for academic success in seventh grade and beyond. After graduating in the top-10% of MBA class at Darden, I’ve worked in strategy consulting focused on B2B payments for the past 26 years. B2B payments is a niche industry with a strong continuity of leadership across various market participants who have patiently tolerated me as a still quirky adult.  While my wife, Laura, and I live in Annapolis where I’m an avid sailboat racer, we’ve maintained a close connection with St. John’s Church, Western Run Parish, between Glyndon and Butler, where I was confirmed, we were married, our two sons were baptized and confirmed, and I have served as Treasurer for the past 10 years. Throughout my career and non-profit  work, “the three Rs” have served me well.

Turning back to the story of my mother, together with the Reverend Philip Roulette, she founded Paul’s Place in 1982, the same year of our graduation. Calvert students, teachers, staff, alumni, and parents should take enormous pride in the many thousands of hours serving our people of Baltimore at Paul’s Place – an organization that, together with Calvert School, remains a very powerful force for good in our city today.