[media-credit name=”Kendall” align=”alignnone” width=”216″][/media-credit]Martha “Marty” Kendall, the Rochester, New York native, Stanford graduate and former Dean of Language Arts at San Jose City College, has released another human interest story. Only this time, she and her family are the subjects.

Kendall’s newest publication, “Full Cycle: A Family Ride Across Spain,” chronicles her family’s 600 mile bicycle journey on the Camino de Santiago, a historical pilgrimage route that ends in Spain’s westernmost point, Cape Finisterre. After finishing this odyssey with her husband and children, Kendall felt a need to share the story.

“I hope readers will see what a family can do if the members support each other. Each of us accomplished things we could not have done alone, whether the challenge was cycling up a ridiculously steep mountainside, careening down rough and rocky single track, or getting back on a bike after taking a fall,” Kendall said.

“I like to present information that I find inspiring”, Kendall said. The subjects of her books come from all walks of life. She has written about Steve Wozniak (founder of Apple), anthropologist Jane Goodall, and even a former SJCC student in her celebrated “Alive in the Killing Fields,” published by National Geographic.

Many of her titles share the underlying themes of struggle and determination. “Sometimes I choose a subject, and sometimes a subject chooses me”, Kendall said.

She taught for 35 years at San Jose City College. In 2008 she took on the job as Dean of Language Arts at SJCC briefly before her retirement.

“I learned to appreciate the responsibilities and challenges that Deans and other administrators face every day,” Kendall said.

Current Interim Dean of Language Arts, Virginia Scales, said that Kendall provided excellent, high quality leadership, and “she was a positive force for San Jose City College.”

Having earned a Master’s degree in English and Social Science, Kendall said she is no stranger to the struggles that the students face.

“When the economy goes down, the need for education goes up. Students at SJCC are doing the right thing at the right time. I never heard anybody say ‘I wish I didn’t have a college degree.’” Kendall said. “Not only will students earn a door-opening piece of paper, but they will also gain skills, confidence and experiences that will enrich their entire lives financially and in many other ways, too.”

She is the senior Executive Editor of College Teaching.  Her website states that she also speaks at many educational conferences and is very active within Women’s groups such as NOW and League of Women Voters.
Martha Kendall’s books can be purchased online at Amazon or on her website www.marthakendall.com.