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ALSO
IN THIS ISSUE In His Element College for Kids Parking 101 Go With the Flow Close Encounters Chancellor's Page Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments
of faculty and staff… |
Reading
was Elva Salinas' escape from a Dickensian childhood. Then cosmetology
paid the bills while she prepped for her permanent career teaching literature. Since those early lean years, though, Salinas has been making up for lost time. Now in her first year as a full-time faculty member in the English department at City College, Salinas has traveled a long road, taking her from struggling youth to business owner to inspirational teacher. Her work is recognized, with Salinas recently named Hispanic Heritage Month Local Hero, presented by KPBS and Union Bank of California. “I was surprised, and at first I was very reluctant to accept the nomination,” Salinas said in response to the award. “I know that I do not do anything very different from my colleagues. I work with many dedicated professors who have achieved much more than I, and who also struggled to complete their education. Many professors inspired me during my education, and I’m working side-by-side with them now. So I accept it for them, and my childhood teachers who always expected the best from me.” Ternot MacRenato, her former Chicano studies professor, nominated Salinas for the award. “Elva’s transfer from teaching cosmetology to teach full-time in the English department is not only a great personal achievement, but also a triumph of the human spirit.” MacRenato says. “Over the years her cosmetology students have praised her skills as a talented and compassionate teacher. She was an inspiration to us all, and a great role model.” Salinas barely had time to enjoy the afterglow of the awards ceremony when she plunged into her busy schedule, teaching seven different classes. “I’m loving it,” Salinas says. “It’s challenging in a different way. I’ve gone from 30 cosmetology students to 180 in English, teaching everything from developmental reading to critical thinking to world literature.” Being a college professor is far removed from how her life began. Born in San Diego, Salinas moved to Bakersfield then to New Mexico with her mother after her father deserted the family. “When you grow up poor, you don’t get enough opportunities for eating decent meals, much less education,” Salinas says. “But my mother always encouraged me, and told me to take advantage of free books at the library. I’ve been an avid reader since I can remember. I used to hide under my covers with a flashlight late at night so I would have more time to read.” The only reason she didn’t pursue English and literature as a career, Salinas says, was poverty. “I needed to pursue a vocation I knew would get me money fast, and help me survive,” she says. “I had to support myself. I went to school and received my cosmetology certificate, then bought my own salon by the time I was 21.” She wasn’t done yet. After graduating from the cosmetology program at City College, Salinas gave birth to three children, then earned her associate degree, followed by her bachelor’s degree in vocational education at San Diego State University and, most recently, her master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of California, San Diego. She still maintains her cosmetology business, running a shop from her home, and has taught cosmetology at City College for 18 years. “One of my future goals is to combine a salon, bookstore and coffee shop in one location,” Salinas says. “We could have book club readings.” First, though, there is the matter of educating students to the joys of reading and writing. And in the two courses she teaches from the Chicano perspective, she has the added satisfaction of sharing her cultural heritage. “I grew up in an environment where you were not even allowed to speak Spanish in school, so it’s a blessing working in a supportive environment as we have here at City College,” she says. “Things are also good at the local school level. My daughter attends a school where they read wonderful Chicano writers, people I had never heard about but am grateful I now know.” Salinas says she’s looking forward to many more years learning as she also helps others learn. “City College is one of the leaders as far as including literature from all different cultures,” Salinas says. “We have very strong thinkers in our department, supportive of writing and reading that comes from every direction. The students are inspiring. Every time I think I’ve had a rough time, I listen to their stories and am amazed at their resolve.” Looking back keeps her grounded, she says. “I have a framed picture of the adobe house I grew up in hanging on the wall of my much bigger house, a big house in a nice area with a view,” she says, laughing. “It was very difficult for me at first to accept the good things that were happening to me once I became educated. I still have survivor’s guilt because so many of my friends didn’t make it. Some ended up in prison, or died, or stayed poor. I consider myself fortunate, and now I’m dedicated to helping others who want to learn. Sometimes it simply takes someone to believe in you.”
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