By Barry Ray
November 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A graduate of The Florida State University's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities is the new program's first big success story.

Iraq war veteran turned actor JR Martinez, who attended the program (www.fsu.com/pages/2008/06/05/bootcamp.html) in the summer of 2008, has been cast on the ABC daytime drama "All My Children" in the role of Brot Monroe.

"We are honored and delighted to welcome JR Martinez to the cast of 'All My Children,'" said the show's executive producer, Julie Hanan Carruthers. "JR represents the best of the human spirit. His commitment to help his fellow servicemen and women and their families has inspired us all. JR's challenging journey and resilience will bring a uniquely authentic perspective to the role of Brot Monroe."

In the background of the "All My Children" plotline, Martinez's character had served in the U.S. Army in Iraq, where he fell in love with Lt. Taylor Thompson (played by Beth Ehlers). After being severely wounded in combat, Brot made the decision to allow Taylor to believe he had died, not wanting to subject her to the reality of his injuries. Following many surgeries and recovery, Brot returns to find his fiancée, who has been grieving her loss, not knowing he is still alive.

The fictional character was based in part on Martinez's own experiences in Iraq. Two months after his deployment in February 2003, the Humvee he was driving struck a landmine. With 40 percent of his body severely burned, Martinez underwent 32 surgeries and spent 34 months in the hospital.

Martinez attended Florida State's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities last summer with the idea of marketing his image and his story as a public persona. He credits the program with providing him with the skills and confidence he needed to succeed.

"The boot camp helped me stay focused on my career," Martinez said. "Vets come back broken down after being injured and often have lost the confidence to continue in life, let alone start a business. The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities gives them the knowledge, skills and, most importantly, confidence to continue."

FSU faculty member Randy Blass, who directs the boot camp, described Martinez as someone who "has an indomitable spirit and has taken a personal tragedy and turned it into a personal triumph.

"This is the essence of what we are trying to accomplish with the boot camp," Blass said. While JR's 'venture' is not of the traditional brick-and-mortar type, it is a venture just the same and every bit entrepreneurial."

For more on Martinez and his new role on "All My Children," visit http://soapnet.go.com/soapnet/article/path-articleNum_15447/category_shows/subcategory_allmychildren.

To learn more about the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities at The Florida State University, visit www.cob.fsu.edu/ebv.

CONTACT: Randy Blass
(850) 644-7859; rblass@cob.fsu.edu