Gavilan Joint Community College Governing Board, Trustee Area 2 Candidate Alicia Cortez

 alicia cortez

Alicia Cortez

I’m Alicia Cortez, a candidate for the Gavilan Joint Community College Governing Board, Trustee Area 2. I hope to represent you because I’m committed to expanding educational opportunities for our community.

My parents instilled in me to do my best in school, but having readily available opportunities to  further my education wasn’t always within reach.

I began my higher education journey by  chance, not choice. A first-generation college graduate of St. Mary’s College, University of California, Berkeley, and  San Jose State University, I hold degrees in Social Welfare and History.

Upon graduation, I  worked as a mental health educator and community organizer. I then worked at University of California, Santa Cruz  to increase college-going rates, including community college transfers, for our marginalized  communities.

For 35-plus years, I’ve worked as a counselor, professor, and most recently as De Anza College’s Dean of Equity and Engagement. I’ve led efforts to close equity gaps for our most vulnerable  student populations. With a reputation of building partnerships with colleagues and community  members, I have first-hand experience serving diverse students inside and outside the  classroom. I value giving back to my community such as volunteering as a mentor to first generation college students for the Gavilan College Puente Project.

Rising from the pandemic, I am concerned about the impact of student success initiatives on  our most vulnerable students and how this “new normal” impacts our collective response to  students’ academic progress and workforce preparation. I want to help advance Gavilan  College’s mission of students’ access, retention, inclusion, and completion of educational goals  during these times.

As a trustee, I will act on initiatives that foster student success, innovative instructional  programs, institutional effectiveness through policy development, and prudent financial  actions. Join me in furthering the success of our students by voting for me this election.


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