10/FEATURES
Career Services director makes magic
Stacey Simmers
Capital Times Staff
He's the director of Career Services, but
he does much more than arrange
interviews between prospective employers
and seniors. He's also a magician, devoted
family man and serious professional. His
name is Karl Martz. Martz-not Marx.
Every day he comes to work to help
Profile
students prepare for life after college,
Mart/, said.
"It's very satisfying when I help people
and they come back to tell me they got a
job," Martz said.
One such example is Chris Fettcrman,
who graduated in January.
"Karl helped me write my resume so
that it sounded professional," Fettcrman
said. "Then he made some phone calls to a
friend of his in a company I interviewed
with and let him know how interested I
was. I feel that I owe him a lot."
Fettcrman now works for ITT Teves in
Virginia as a manufacturing engineer
trainee.
Alumni with jobs aren't the only
people grateful to Martz. His co-workers
appreciate him, too.
Steve Backcls, coordinator of personal
counseling, works in the same office as
Martz.
"Karl's a good guy to work with,"
BacV.e\s said. "NWYven something’s going on
in the office, we know where he stands."
Backcls said Martz is truly student
oriented.
"He really wants to help the students,"
Backcls said. "He is very outgoing when it
comes making contacts that’ll help a
student."
But his desire to help other people
doesn't stay at work.
When Martz was the director of career
services at the Central Pennsylvania
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Karl Martz
Business School, he rode his bike to work
every day because his family had only one
"I wanted my wife to have the car for
GMfIT
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the kids,” Martz said. "So as long as the
roads weren't icy, I went on my bike."
Martz said his family is central in his
life. And his wife, Marylou, director of
health services at Penn State Harrisburg,
supports that.
"When we are invited to go anywhere,
the first thing Karl wants to know is if the
kids can go too," Marylou said. "We have
declined a lot of invitations because the
kids weren't invited."
While he runs the Career Services
Center, updates the Career Services
library, and holds workshops that help
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students prepare for interviews, Martz is
also completing the master's program in
training and development. He has a
bachelor's degree in political science from
Texas Lutheran College.
All this work might cause some stress,
but Martz said he relieves any tension
while playing racquetball every day in the
Capita Union Building.
With a slight build, and only 5' 7 1/2"
tall, Martz may not look like a very
aggressive player. But appearances can be
deceiving.
''l've watched him play," said Ron
Heggs, a senior majoring in structural
design. "He has no mercy for his
opponents."
Marylou said she won't play with him
because he hits the ball too hard. But
racquetball isn't his only release.
"I'm a magician," Martz said, his
brown mustache curling above a proud
smile.
He said he learned from magician Dan
Kamin, who stayed with Martz when he
performed in the Gallery Lounge, nearly
nine years ago.
"I started with sponge balls, and learned
everything I could," Martz said.
He is now a member of the
International Brotherhood of Magicians.
The organization that gives him access to
new tricks, shared between magicians.
Martz uses his new skills to perform in
magic shows at community functions and
private parties. Most of the work is done
gratis.
"He just likes to perform," Marylou
said.
Recently Martz had the opportunity to
combine his strong work ethic with
quality time with his children-Jennifer, 12
and Matthew, eight. Together they built a
new house in Harrisburg, Martz's
hometown.
"Everyone helped with something,"
Martz said, his brown eyes shining with
pride.
Martz and his son painted the interior
of the house.
"Our builder was so fascinated by how
fast and how well Karl did it, that he asked
Karl if he would paint the house being
built behind us," Marylou said.
Back on campus, this student-oriented
man sits in his office, decorated with his
children's drawing, waiting for students to
take advantage of his knowledge.
"I like to help people," he said.
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