1 day Ago By Heath Harrison
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 2, 2025 By Heath Harrison Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, poses as actress Rita Moreno during the school’s Living Wax Museum on Thursday. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, is presented with a letter from actress Rita Moreno on Monday, congratulating her for her portrayal of her in her last week’s Living Wax museum. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Actress Rita Moreno and her manager, John Ferguson, of Ironton, arrive for her event at Ohio University Southern in May 2024.
(Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, reads a letter to her from actress Rita Moreno on Monday, congratulating her for her portrayal of her in her last week’s Living Wax museum. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, is presented with a letter from actress Rita Moreno on Monday, congratulating her for her portrayal of her in her last week’s Living Wax museum. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Burlington Elementary School teachers look over the letter second grader Sharon Martinez received from actress Rita Moreno on Monday.
(Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, poses as actress Rita Moreno during the school’s Living Wax Museum on Thursday. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Moreno sends note to her Burlington likeness BURLINGTON — When Burlington Elementary School second grader Sharon Martinez dressed up for the school’s Living Wax Museum this year, she earned accolades from someone who knows a thing or two about portraying a subject. Second graders at the school choose a historic figure for the school project, research their lives, write a report and then dress up and portray them for the project.
For her project, Martinez chose Rita Moreno, the actress, singer and dancer whose eight decades–long career includes her Academy Award win for the 1961 film “West Side Story.” Moreno is one of only 21 people to be named an EGOT winner, after winning competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. The Tribune showed photos of Martinez’s portrayal to John Ferguson, Moreno’s manager, who a city native who recently moved back to Ironton and is active in its Rotary Club and other ci vic groups.
Actress Rita Moreno and her manager, John Ferguson, of Ironton, arrive for her event at Ohio University Southern in May 2024. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Ferguson brought Moreno to Ironton last year, where she took part in a fundraising event at Ohio University Southern for the Bobcat Academy, then stayed to watch the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade. After seeing the photos of Martinez’s project, Ferguson passed them on to Moreno, who he said was “delighted” to see her younger counterpart.
Moreno then sent a message to Martinez, congratulating her on her efforts. Sharon Martinez, a second grader at Burlington Elementary School, is presented with a letter from actress Rita Moreno on Monday, congratulating her for her portrayal of her in her last week’s Living Wax museum. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) “Dear Shar on,” the note from the 93-year-old entertainment legend read.
“¡Ay, qué linda! Seeing your photo dressed as me for you r school history project made me smile from ear to ear. You looked absolutely beautiful — and so proud!” “When I was a little girl, I never imagined someone like you would one day look up to me,” Moreno said. “What a gift.
Sigue soñando en grande, mi amor — keep dreaming big, being brave, and showing the world your sparkle. Un abrazo muy fuerte, Rita Moreno.” On Monday, The Tribune delivered Moreno’s letter to the school, where Martinez was surprised at lunchtime.
Principal David Ashworth played a clip of Moreno singing, before bringing up the topic of the wax museum and having students discuss their favorites. He then called Martinez to the front of the cafeteria, where she was handed the letter and she read it aloud to her classmates. “I don’t think anyone so famous has ever written to one of our students here at Burlingt on,” Ashworth said.
The school’s wax museum has taken place for nine years and the student portrayals have occasionally been notice by their subjects. In 2023, Jaden Young portrayed Phil Carter, a longtime Marshall University professor and prominent civil rights activist in West Virginia. Carter, who was interviewed by Yong for the project, treated to the students to ice cream that fall as a thank you for the project and to encouraged them to continue to study and learn from history.
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