DURHAM, N.C. — The legacy of former President Jimmy Carter is far-reaching. 

He knew world leaders, business titans and celebrities. But it's what he did in the moments outside of the spotlight that really made an impact. 

What You Need To Know

  • Carlos Martinez is a stylist in North Carolina

  • As a young man from El Salvador, he stayed with a host family in Georgia

  • His host family knew the Carters

  • Martinez recalls speaking with former President Jimmy Carter

Not everyone can say they’ve had dinner with a sitting president, but stylist Carlos Martinez can. 

"I remember clearly back then thinking, 'wow, you know what anybody, world leaders, would give to be in my place here at this table?' You know? So yes, it was a very honorable moment, certainly a sweet memory to have," Martinez said.

Martinez was a 20-year-old exchange student from El Salvador living with a host family in Georgia, who just so happened to be friends with the then president and his wife, Rosalynn. 

He recalls Carter asking him questions about the United State’s current involvement with his home country. 

“He was just another human, and he was the sweetest person you could have ever met. And he made me feel so comfortable, so human. I wasn't the student from the third world country, you know, I was just another friend," Martinez said.

The meeting made a lasting impression on Martinez, but as it turns out, it left an impression on Carter as well. 

Six months after their sit-down meal, the president visited Georgia Southwestern College, where Carlos was taking pictures for the school paper.

“It was an entourage of people walking along with him, and he sees me there and he stops, you know, the whole crowd just like that. Like, why are we stopping, Mr. President? And he looked at me and says, 'Hey Carlos, how are you doing?' And that was such a moment for me, you know, cause I said, 'I'm doing great. Mr. Carter, how are you? Good to see you,'" Martinez recalled. "I said, well, you know, for this man to have remembered my name and the knowing that he must meet thousands of people, you know, world leaders and that kind of thing, it was something, you know, it just did something to my heart.”

Martinez says he wrote a letter to Carter, thanking him for his kindness all those years ago and hopes the former president was able to read it before he passed.

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