Nina Spitler

formerly known as
Nina Martinez
 Who am I?
• I’m a mother • I’m a woman

• I’m an overachiever
• I’m a wife
• I’m a student

• I’m Hispanic • I’m a teacher

• I’m a country girl

• I’m an stuck in the desert
American
• I’m a camper

• I’m a Leo • I’m a traveler

The list goes on but…
• I’m a dreamer
• I’m a
daughter I AM ME! • I’m a hard worker
 Cultural Background
I am an American & I am
Hispanic:
I was born in Miami, Florida. A
few months after my first
birthday, my parents moved to
Peru to be with family. I lived in
Peru and attended a catholic
private school in Lima until I was
8. At 8 years old, we moved back
to Miami. When I was 11, we
moved to Las Vegas but it didn’t
work out so we quickly moved
back to Miami. When I turned 14,
we moved to Las Vegas again but
this time for good. I’ve been here
ever since!
I am a wife
I met my high school sweetheart
when I was 15. We had actually
previously met in middle school
but we didn’t know until we saw a
yearbook later on. However, that’s
when my family moved back to
Miami so we never spoke again,
until we “met again” in high
school. For this reason, I am a firm
believer of fate. We got together
February 2009 and have been
together ever since. We got
married at 21 on December 28,
2013.
 I am a mother
My husband and I had our first child only a year
after being together. We were only 18. We were
very, VERY young parents. However, my son saved
my life. If it wasn’t for him, I would not be half the
person I am today. He came in a time of darkness
and although I wasn’t ready and I was young, I
believe he was sent to me to save me, teach me,
and help me grow.

7 years later… We had our second baby. A girl this

time and a million times more prepared. I was 26
but she also came at a time when I needed her.
She helped me grow just as much as my son but in
different ways. She is the puzzle piece we were
missing in our family.
 Religion
I am a Christian.

I was baptized catholic and although I went to

catholic school, we never went to church.
I believe in God, I believe in a higher power, but
I also believe in science.
Now that I am older I have gone to church a lot
more but my life is very hectic. I do, however,
have my beliefs but I’m not as passionate about
it as most people.
 Family
I’m a daughter/I’m a step daughter

My mom is Peruvian. She was a single mother

most of my life. Sometimes she worked 2 or 3
jobs to make ends meet and give us an
awesome childhood. I am who I am because I
had an excellent role model.

My dad is Cuban and Puerto Rican. I didn’t

grow up around him but we have a
relationship and I try to see him every year or
every other year.

My step dad is who I would consider my “dad.”

Unfortunately he came in when I was already
15 but in 12 short years he has made a huge
impact in my life. He helped me see what it’s
like to have a caring father presently in my life.
I am a granddaughter.

I only have 1 grandfather. My

mother’s parents have been together
since they were teenagers. My
grandfather is Peruvian with a Jewish-
Eastern European background. He is
now 80 years old but a very active
and happy man. My grandmother is
also Peruvian and she is a
hardworking woman until this day.
They migrated from Peru to Las Vegas
in 1999.

My father’s mother, my late

grandmother, passed away when I
was 12 but we were very close. She
migrated from Cuba to Miami to
escape Castro’s communism.
 Jewish-European Background
My grandfather on my mother’s side,
Eduardo Rosenfeld, is from Eastern European
background and his family was Jewish.
Although he never lived in Europe, his family
escaped the holocaust. His grandfather Jaime
Rosenfeld lived in Romania. When the war
first broke out, his father escaped and moved
to Peru, leaving his parents behind. We know
they were taken to a concentration camp but
we are not exactly sure which one. However,
we do have reasons to believe that they died
in Poland at the Auschwitz-Birkenau
concentration camp. We are unable to
confirm because there are no records.
 Languages
My first language was Spanish.
I learned English when I was 8.
People tell me I no longer have an accent.
I am fluent in Spanish and can write it as well.
I also know a little bit of sign language.

Non-Verbal communication:
When my family says hello and goodbye we
tend to kiss each other on the cheek and
men shake hands.
As Hispanics, we like to hug and we are
very touchy. We don’t know “personal
bubbles.”
We also talk with our hands to express
ourselves.
Foods
Peru has been the number 1 country
for cuisine for many years.
I eat a lot of Peruvian food. Ceviche
would have to be my absolute
favorite, even though I love it all.

I also eat a lot of Cuban food. Living

in Miami taught me how to cook
Cuban food. Arroz al moro (rice with
black beans and pork) is probably my
favorite plate along with bistec a
milanesa (breaded steak).

I don’t eat a lot of Puerto Rican food

but quenepas are my absolute
favorite fruit from Puerto Rico and I
have only found them in Miami.

Although I eat various types of

foods, the way to my heart is sushi!
 Celebrations
Christmas
My absolute favorite holiday is Birthdays
Christmas. In Peru, we Birthdays are a huge deal to me.
celebrate Christmas on I have always loved birthdays. I
December 24th. We get the try to make the person feel as
whole family together, eat special as I possibly can. I
dinner around 10 p.m., and believe it is the one day that is
open presents at midnight. made just for you. I have always
However, because my husband gone above and beyond for
is American we also celebrate birthdays for my mom, my kids,
it on the 25th. We open one my husband, my friends, etc.
present at midnight and we
open the rest in the morning
when we wake up. We then
spend the day together and
have dinner at my mother in
law’s house around 5 p.m.
 Life Experiences
Crisis
Last year I almost lost my
As a child, I dealt with a lot of crisis and life. I had a severe
experiences but nothing prepared me for asthma attack and my
the biggest challenge of my life: Losing throat completely closed.
my father in law. I called 911 but they took
too long. My husband
My father in law passed away in October decided to drive me to
2015. He was like a father to me and my the hospital driving crazy.
whole world came crashing down. My I don’t know how I made
family and I hit a type of rock bottom we it. when I got there I had
had never experienced before. I had to an oxygen level of 50.
take on a lot of responsibility; like taking Had my husband not ran
care of my mother in law. I fell in a the red light (I know,
$10,000 debt and a 3 year depression. It scary), I probably
took a long time and a lot of work but I would’ve been
feel like I am finally moving on now and unconscious, which is
starting my life again. when you lose brain
activity.
 Challenges
One of the biggest challenges
in my life was moving from
Peru to America and learning
English. When I moved I didn’t
speak any English and I was
placed in 3rd grade. It was
tough and I faced bullying and
struggles but eventually I
learned.
Another big challenge was
growing up. I had a tough
teenage life. I faced a lot of
issues because I didn’t have a
father figure and my mother had
to work all the time. I suffered
from a lot of mental health and
it took a lot to find my inner
being and grow up.
90’s BABY!
 Technology
I grew up in a time when technology
first made its big boom. I went from
having brick phones and having brick
computers to having a tablet and a
Macbook. Also, since I grew up in
Peru, technology was a little behind.
Therefore, I used to have Walkmans
and black and white dial televisions. I
even had record players. I am thankful
to have grown up in Peru because I
got to see life in a different way. I
appreciate the things we have now
and the growth technology has made,
although sometimes I wish it didn’t
exist because I also believe it ruins
people when not controlled.
 Influences
Life in Florida is a lot different than
life in Las Vegas. I consider Miami not
really a part of the U.S. because it’s
almost like it’s its own little country;
a mix of South and North America. I
didn’t learn “proper” English until I
moved here. I had a Miami accent
that is hard to describe. I also grew
up at a much faster pace than most. I
don’t know if it had to do with where
I lived, who I surrounded myself
with, or my life experiences.
Education
I started attending 3rd grade in Miami. Once
I moved to Las Vegas my freshman year of
high school, I started attending school until
my junior year. I dropped out my senior year
and then started doing independent
studies. That didn’t work out so I stopped
going altogether. When I found out I was
pregnant, I got my G.E.D. However, I wanted
to set an example of finishing what I started
for my son. When he was 3, I went back and
officially graduated high school.
I started attending CSN and after a few
roadblocks, I am finally graduating this May
with my Associate’s degree in Special
Education. I will then attend Nevada State
College to obtain my Bachelors degree in
Elementary Education with a concentration
in Special Education and an endorsement in
Autism.
I am a camper.
Hobbies
I grew up around dirt bikes and four-
wheelers. My family and I love to
camp. I love being outdoors. Trees are
my favorite things in the world. My
favorite is the redwood tree. I like how
miniscule you feel next to them; it puts
into perspective how small we really
are compared to the world.
I am a traveler.
I love to travel and I love road trips.
2014: I visited the Netherlands, France,
Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany,
Brussels, and New York in one trip.
2015: Denmark, Netherlands, Brussels,
Barcelona, Ibiza.
2016: Panama and drove through
Northern California and Oregon.
2017: US 101 all the way up through
California to Oregon and ended in
Washington. Also spent a week in
Disneyworld.
2018: I did a U.S. road trip. Visited Utah,
Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio,
Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming,
Montana, and Idaho.
 Interests
I want to be a teacher and I work in the Life
Skills Program at an elementary school, so
teaching is pretty much my life right now.

I am a baseball mom and I enjoy

watching my son at his games. I look
forward to them all week.

I love to read. I love to learn. I try to educate myself,

research, and learn from every situation and every
person. I believe knowledge is power. I love learning
about history. WWII is my favorite subject and I love
to learn about the past and our ancestors.
 Values & Beliefs
• Treat people kindly
• Tell the truth
- I have always, always,
ALWAYS, told the truth. I’m a
• I believe in being a family
terrible liar and telling a lie will
woman
make you tell more and
• I believe in dedicating
eventually you won’t even
your life to your children
know the reality from your lies.
because you only have
• Always be there for people such little time to cherish
• Never backstab a friend them.
• I believe in NEVER giving
up.
• I believe in working hard
and anything you do, you
better give 180% or you
might as well not do it at
all.
 Prejudices & Biases

I used to have a lot of biases and prejudices but with traveling, I have learned to
put those aside and learn to embrace differences. I have also learned a lot from
teaching. It taught me so many things I didn’t know about people and children. I
am not saying I am never biased or prejudice but I consciously try to stop myself
or learn about the subject to change my own opinion.
 Short-Term Goals
• Receive my associate degree in May.

• End another semester with straight A’s.

• Start substitute teaching next school year.

• Start an account for my future.

• Take my kids to Bali as a graduation present to myself.

• Change my eating and exercise habits.

• Buy a home and provide a good life for my family.

• Receive my bachelor’s and master’s in education.

 Long-Term Goals
• I want to move out of state.

• Provide a country lifestyle for my children, always keep

them outdoors, teach them to fish and live off the land,
and making sure they are always happy and succeeding.

• Become a principal of a school.

• Make a difference in a million children’s hearts and lives.

• Give back to the world.

• Adopt a child.

• Be able to retire by 58 even if I don’t want to. I just

want to have that option in case I grow tired.

• Travel in my old age.

• Live a happy life.

• Grow old with my husband.

 Cultural Artifacts
Because I moved around A LOT as a child, I
don’t have many things from my childhood.
I have a couple of things that were passed
down but mostly just pictures.

One of the most important

This is my late grandmother’s bracelet
which means a lot to me. She passed
it down to me.
artifacts for me was my
parent’s wedding rings but I
lost it when I was a teenager
and now I wish I would’ve
been more careful. It was
engraved with their names
and date.
 Conclusion
One can belong to many cultural groups and
that is what makes us who we are. We may fit
in one group but also fit in another. I am a
mixture of different things that in the end,
make me who I am. I love and embrace my
culture, past, and experiences. I find beauty in
our differences and I think the world would
be a boring place if we were all the same!