December 15, 2006

Prominent Latino educator honored at Evergreen Valley College on Dec. 7

Evergreen Valley College Student Services Center dedicated to Dr. Mauro Chavez

On Thursday, Dec. 7, Evergreen Valley College President David Wain Coon and San Jose/Evergreen Community College District Chancellor Rosa G. Perez dedicated the newly remodeled Student Services Center at Evergreen Valley College in honor of the late Dr. Mauro Chavez and the enormous contribution he made to underrepresented students on campus.

On Thursday, Dec. 7, Evergreen Valley College President David Wain Coon and San Jose/Evergreen Community College District Chancellor Rosa G. Perez dedicated the newly remodeled Student Services Center at Evergreen Valley College in honor of the late Dr. Mauro Chavez and the enormous contribution he made to underrepresented students on campus.

Marcia Chavez, who worked with her father while she was a student at Evergreen Valley College, accepted the honor on behalf of the Chavez family and spoke about Dr. Chavez’s legacy as a loving father, devoted mentor and impassioned Social Studies instructor at EVC for 25 years.

Cutting the ribbon at the ceremony were Dr.Chavez’s widow, Mrs. Josie Chavez, as well as his two daughters, Marcia Chavez and Sonya Serna. Victor Garza, co-founder of the Enlace Program at EVC with Dr. Chavez in 1983 and current Chairman of La Raza Roundtable, spoke about the former EVC instructor’s tireless efforts to raise the level of awareness about academic challenges of disadvantaged Hispanic students and his success at increasing their transfer rate to four-year universities like Yale and San Jose State University.

To date, the Enlace Program has graduated over 5,000 students from its program, encouraging them to enter the fields of science and engineering. Enlace mentors have contributed to the students’ success in their chosen careers beyond the EVC program.

To honor the memory of Dr. Chavez, EVC held a student Mentor Essay Contest. Participants were asked to write a short essay about their most influential mentor – family, friend, teacher, or community leader. Grand Prize winner Jose Manuel Martinez, who dedicated his essay to EVC instructor Frank Espinosa, was awarded $500. Second place and $250 went to Trinh Nguyen. Tomas Martinez walked away with third Place and a $100 prize.