SBCC FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD Oct 2008 Elida Moreno She has been at SBCC for 32 years. Professor: English Skills/ESL BA - McMurray College MA, PhD - University of California, Santa Barbara

Dedication by Elida Moreno :

Growing up in San Antonio, Texas during segregation, the elementary and middle schools that I attended were far from multi-cultural.  In fact, the student population was 100% Hispanic/latino; however, the teachers and administrators were “white”, with the exception of Miss Pina, my 5th grade teacher.  I remember her not only because she was the only teacher of color that I had, but also because she involved us in after-school activities—poster contests—that took us out of our neighborhoods and into other areas of San Antonio, which we might not otherwise have visited or seen. Then, in middle school, there was Miss Maxwell, who “lived for her next Section 1 homeroom”, ostensibly the top students in a class of about 300 entering 7th graders.  Miss Maxwell hosted the most wonderful parties in her home and coddled us, because according to her, we could no wrong.  Finally, in high school, Miss Pantuso was my homeroom teacher for three years.  She was like Miss Pina and Miss Maxwell combined into one in that she hosted social events in various places in town, at her home, went to bat for us in so many situations, organized trips to colleges and universities—way before Up-Bound, Trio, or any such a program existed.  She recognized the potential of hundreds of students that she knew should pursue higher education.

When I became a middle school teacher, I emulated them, or at least tried.  These unselfish, giving, caring ladies whose lives were dedicated to their students instilled in me their love for humanity and devotion to educating the “underdog”. In my 30 years of teaching at SBCC, I have endeavored not to forget those ladies and the impact they made on so, so many lives.  If I have accomplished even a fraction of what they did, I am grateful.  I accept the Faculty Excellence Award in their memory.