EVERYTHING
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The word “hero” has been minimized, as it seems to be applied to almost anyone who safely crosses the street. But that doesn’t mean that heroes are not among us. Our third annual hero list is comprised of those whose good deeds have brought a spotlight to a cause, or have made a difference, or will make an impact. A common thread is that most are teachers, either in the true sense that they work out of a classroom, or in the broader definition that they are leaders who happen to teach. Within these profiles, you will discover the magic of how each hero changes the lives he or she touches. Sharlynne Legere Where she lives: Riverside Family: Mom, Cara; sister, Oceana, 15, and brother, Malcolm, 4 School she attends: Sierra Middle School Hero defined: Founder of “Crosses for Critters” Sharlynne Legere has a big heart for animals, an artist’s eye and determination all her own. The 12-year-old, who attends Sierra Middle School in Riverside, recently won the American Humane Association’s “Be Kind to Animals” contest for her business “Crosses for Critters.” Sharlynne started “Crosses for Critters” to help raise money for animals in need of veterinary care. She designs and makes beaded crosses, necklaces, bracelets and key chains, and sells them for a quarter, 50 cents or $1 apiece to raise money for her cause. “She comes up with the designs herself,” says Cara Legere, Sharlynne’s mother. “She’s getting more creative all the time.” Sharlynne has begun creating designs with holiday colors and themes to expand her offerings. Sharlynne won $2,000 in the American Humane Association contest and agreed to keep the money in an account for college. “I want to be a veterinarian,” she says. “We made an agreement about saving the award money,” adds Cara. “But Sharlynne has already been tempted when we heard about a sick kitten.” “Crosses for Critters” began when Sharlynne visited family friend Lynn Hildebrand at the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley (HSSBV). Hildebrand is a humane educator, and has been a mentor and friend to Cara since she was a child. According to dogsforkids.com, Sharlynne saw a dog that had been badly injured and was so concerned that she gave Hildebrand a box of pennies she had received from her grandfather. She knew the pennies wouldn’t be enough, so she vowed to do more. Her gifts blossomed from there. A sermon inspired Sharlynne to sell her jewelry designs. A therapy dog named Havoc was her first crusade. Havoc, a Rottweiler, needed surgery to remove a tumor on her adrenal gland. Sharlynne raised $200 and then started a community drive which raised more than $14,000 for Havoc’s surgery. Havoc is now in excellent health, and is pictured on the cover of this magazine. To date, Sharlynne has helped several more animals. “Growing up in a single-parent household, she knows first-hand how expensive veterinary care can be,” says Cara. “We’ve faced some heartbreaking decisions with pets in the past because I couldn’t afford expensive treatments.” By Susan Belknapp Dan Litzenberg Where he lives: Murrieta Family: Wife, Santosha; and son, Kyle, 6 Hero defined: Chemistry and AP-Chemistry teacher, Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta It was no surprise when Vista Murrieta High School students chose chemistry teacher Dan Litzenberg as Grand Marshal for the 2007 fall Homecoming. The students honored Litzenberg due to his commitment to teaching and his ability to inspire his students. Litzenberg says his main goal has been to show students how science impacts their daily lives. In 2006, he sought and obtained a $10,000 grant through the National Science Teachers Association, funded by Toyota, for a special project in which about 650 chemistry students built a radon tester to place in their homes to measure for the naturally occurring carcinogenic gas. The students also bought Geiger counters and radioactive isotopes to study radioactive materials. When the students examined their radon testers, they found various levels of radon, and their results were reported in the community and local media. “I wanted students to do something where science is real, where it’s a part of their lives,” says Litzenberg, 37, a former Marine and Gulf War veteran. He started teaching at Vista Murrieta in 2003 when the school opened. Unfortunately, his career is on hold. Diagnosed in 2006 with multiple sclerosis, he had to take a medical leave. He’s unsure he can teach again, and he and his family may have to leave the Inland Empire because the hot summers exacerbate his symptoms. “Daniel is a true hero,” says Pamela Jo Wilson, the district’s human resources director. “His students see first-hand how not to use one’s circumstance as an excuse from doing one’s personal best. Adds Darren Daniel, Vista Murrieta High School principal, “Daniel has continued to amaze me with his inner toughness. People don’t know what’s behind the man known for sharing his passion for science. He is brilliant and compassionate, and has fought for our freedom as a Marine, but remains humble. He’s a man of impeccable integrity and character.” By Amy Bentley Denise Dugger Where she lives: Valley Center, San Diego County Family: Husband, David; daughters, Chelsea, age 15, and Chloe, 13 Hero defined: Kindergarten-2nd grade Special Education/Special Day Class teacher at Temecula Luiseño Elementary in Temecula When wildfires broke out in northern San Diego County last October, Denise Dugger took off 2 “personal days” from her teaching job so she could volunteer with her husband at the evacuation center in Valley Center, where her family lives. As the safety/disaster coordinator for her school in Temecula, Dugger knew she could help. She and her husband gathered whatever food and snacks they could find, served meals to about 1,400 evacuees, and basically ran the evacuation center at Valley Center High School for nearly 2 days until the Red Cross arrived with food and staff to take over. All the while, Dugger remembered to fax her school detailed lesson plans for each of her 8 Special Education students who had a substitute teacher in her absence. By midweek, Dugger and her family had to leave, too, because their street was evacuated; they went to a relative’s home in Solana Beach. It wasn’t until Sunday night that the Duggers could return to their home, which was not damaged. Denise was at work the next Monday morning. Why the rush to help others? “We were there and people needed us,” Dugger says simply. Those who know this dedicated teacher of 22 years were not surprised by her immediate act to volunteer during the fires. “Each day, when she emailed me stories about the other people at the shelter, it was never about herself,” says Andree Grey, Temecula Luiseño Elementary principal, who has worked with Dugger for 8 years at Temecula public schools. “She is probably one of the most amazing educators I’ve ever seen in my life, and one of the most genuine people.” As well as teaching Special Education students with issues ranging from autism to learning and language disorders, Dugger represents the Special Education Department on a school leadership team and she serves as her school’s safety/disaster coordinator. She also mentors new Special Education teachers in the Temecula Valley Unified School District. “I like challenges,” says Dugger. “I really believe that every child can learn. It’s just a matter of figuring out what I can do to make that happen.” By Amy Bentley CAL FIRE Incident Command Team System Team leader: Deputy Chief Howard Windsor Location: Perris Staff: Riverside County Fire Department Look up the word “hero” in the dictionary and you might find Deputy Chief Howard Windsor and his firefighting unit pictured. No matter the disaster, every day these brave men and women – parents, coaches, husbands and wives – stand at the ready to protect people and their homes from peril. Deputy Chief Windsor, commander of the Incident Command Team System, and his elite staff of firefighters spent 14 days battling the Harris fire in San Diego County during Southern California’s recent state of emergency. They staunchly defended lives and properties, and were successful in putting down a threat that sent thousands of homeowners fleeing. Windsor’s 25 years of experience affords him a wisdom that understands that a large part of their accomplishment was due to the teamwork and the camaraderie shared among the men and women who braved the front lines. “Teamwork is everything for us. And communication and cooperation are very important because we not only depend on each other, but we work with a lot of cooperating agencies, as well.” According to Windsor, this solidarity is made possible by the heroic efforts of not just his staff, but the thousands of paid and volunteer firefighters throughout Riverside County who serve with courage and passion every day. “Don’t get me wrong. There’s fear...but we do it anyway. We save lives because it’s what we choose to do. It’s what we’ve trained for, studied and worked hard for. These men and women perform at their best. They go over and above.” This commitment to serve is evident in the quick and methodical response to the tragic firestorms by local firefighters. In fact, Windsor notes that California is one of the leading authorities in emergency management, with many policies and action plans implemented on a national, and eventually, a global scale. Having this team of firefighters in our own back yard is an honor that should have many Californians feeling very proud, very lucky and very safe. By Kerri S. Mabee Barry Gannon Where he lives: Rancho Cucamonga Family: Wife, Liana; sons, Andres, 17, Pablo, 15 Hero defined: Economics and government teacher at Alta Loma High School in Rancho Cucamonga If unassuming modesty is one of the yardsticks by which we gauge heroism, then Barry Gannon certainly measures up. It is not every high school in the Inland Empire that has a former Fulbright Scholar working as an economics teacher, but Gannon is willing to offer the credit for whatever success his students achieve to the students themselves or the enormous support he receives from the faculty and administration at Alta Loma High School. When asked about the qualities that make him a good teacher, Gannon responds, “Honestly, I think you’d be better off asking the students than asking me. I just go in and give it my best shot, as I’ve always done, recognizing I have my own limitations, faults and failings.” He is proud, though, of the work that he has done with students in Advanced Placement courses and the Golden State Exam. “Students, if pushed, can achieve at a high level,” he says. He points out that students from poorer schools in this area have “competed very well” against students from more affluent schools around the state and the nation. “I think that opportunities like the Golden State Exam or AP exams, or really any kind of national exams, are great equalizers.” Describing himself as someone who got into teaching “by accident” right out of college, Gannon says he immediately liked it. “You’re not isolated all day long, and that combination of the academic and the social is what makes it, for me, really enjoyable.” Gannon once saw a teacher teaching music to handicapped students. “When I saw that, I said, ‘Hey, this is the real thing.’ I wouldn’t compare myself to somebody like that,” he says. “In my honest opinion, there’s nothing special, or heroic, or whatever about what I do.” He has been selected a campus “Teacher of the Year” 3 times, so it seems the students and faculty at Alta Loma High School would beg to differ. By Michael J. Medley Marco Garcia and Robert Cuencas Where they live: Both in San Bernardino Family: Marco: Wife, Liza; daughters, Abriana, 15, Amarissa, 10, Alegra, 8, Aliana, 6, Analisa, 4. Robert: Wife, Veronica; daughter, Mariah, 2. Hero defined: Marco Garcia is senior pastor and Robert Cuencas is assistant pastor of the Way World Outreach Mission in San Bernardino About 3 years ago, Marco Garcia was serving as the assistant pastor at a church in Fontana when he discerned the call from God that it was time for him to set up his own church. He did not know where or how he would do this, but he called his half-brother, Robert Cuencas, and told him that now was the time for them to take on this task. Today, Garcia and Cuencas are the senior and assistant pastors of the Way World Outreach Mission in downtown San Bernardino. They are also 2 of the best friends that poor families, the homeless and the addicted have ever had in the area. An effort that started with Marco and Robert going door-to-door to see how they could help in some of the city’s most downtrodden neighborhoods now occupies a 40,000-square-foot building on 4th Street. The door-to-door campaign lives on as the church’s “Adopt-a-Block” ministry, just one of several programs that Way World has set up to lead at-risk children and teenagers to better choices in their lives, help families cope with financial matters and parenting skills, and lift the addicted up to becoming productive citizens again. All of this work is made possible by donations, and Marco and Robert are on call 24/7. As Robert says, “This church doesn’t sleep.” But a couple like Luke and Rebecca makes the hard work worth it. Luke and Rebecca were living behind the dumpsters when Way World moved into its current building. They were homeless, drug-addicted for 30-plus years and had lost both of their children to Child Protective Services. Today, after giving their lives over to God, Luke has a job, is a co-leader of the recovery ministry at Way World and the couple have both their kids back. “There are so many stories like this,” says Robert, “that are just so dear to us.” By Michael J. Medley Aaron Guzman Where he lives: Riverside Family: Wife, Kari Hero defined: Band/orchestra teacher at Gage Middle School and Poly High School Your life can change in an instant. No one knows this more than Aaron Guzman and his wife Kari. In July 2005, Aaron had just completed his 3rd year of teaching music at Gage Middle School when they drove to Kansas for a wedding. Aaron didn't see a stalled car until a split second too late. He swerved and their car flipped, pinning them underneath. They were wearing seatbelts and the air-bags deployed, but both knew almost immediately that something was very wrong. Kari had broken her neck. “I was conscious almost immediately after we stopped,” says Kari. “I said, ‘I think I broke my back.’ Aaron said, ‘I know.’” She was airlifted to Denver; fortunately the hospital was connected to one of the top spinal-injury centers in the country. Her recovery lasted 5 months. The prognosis: quadriplegia. The couple have handled this tragedy with transcendent grace and dignity, and they are wholly grateful for the legions of supporters from around the country, including Aaron's students. “We wanted to stay in Southern California, but we didn't know if we had the support system to make that possible,” says Aaron, whose family is mostly in Illinois. “We were blown away with the generosity and love given to us by my Gage family and our church, Brookside in Redlands. Tens of thousands of dollars were raised, including the gift of our van.” A website, weloveyoukari.org, was started to keep the network of news and support going while Aaron and Kari have adjusted to their new lives. They have paid this forward by helping other victims of spinal-cord injury. Aaron accepted an additional position at Poly High and his middle- and high-school students have donated, fundraised and written letters of admiration and encouragement to “Mr. Guzman.” “Even the hard cases have opened up and found ways to reevaluate their own lives,” says Guzman. Aaron and Kari's determination and patience are irreplaceable. Despite their challenges, the couple remain active in school and church events, counseling young people, in particular, and leading by example. By Susan Belknapp Jose Niño Where he lives: Lake Mathews Family: Wife, Sharon and sons, Derek and Christopher Hero defined: Photography teacher and master tennis coach at Corona High School Jose Niño is hard-working, humble and all-too-quick to deflect well-deserved praise to others, according to Principal Bob Taylor at Corona High School. More than that – Niño is a teacher, role model and coach who serves up enthusiasm on a daily basis to anyone lucky enough to know him, says Taylor. “There’s no doubt – his students love him. They would go to bat for him. He’s that special.” His tireless efforts over the past 37 years to reach, teach and inspire were recognized last year when he was chosen over many thousands of hopefuls as “California’s American Star of Teaching” by the U.S. Department of Education. And in May, he was named the “Mountain View League Coach of the Year” for tennis – for the 29th time. Talk to Niño and you’d hardly know about the awards and accolades that have been piling up. He’d rather tell you about his childhood. How, as the son of Mexican immigrants, he spent years striving and struggling to make his way in this new country. But any challenges he faced, he chose to see as adventures. His persistence and unrelenting work ethic netted big rewards. “I struggled with English, but mastered it well enough to graduate from Santa Ana Valley High School with a class ranking of No. 7,” shares Niño. “I had perfect attendance throughout high school and was very active in clubs, student government and tennis. It was tennis that made it possible for me to attend Cal State Fullerton on a scholarship, where I majored in Spanish, and minored in Portuguese and photography.” As he settled into, and savored, his many roles – husband, father, teacher, coach – it is his outreach work with the Latino community that best exemplifies his willing spirit and generosity. But, Niño insists, “My personal philosophy dictates that I accept all my students as my children. In my classroom, it is imperative that we have fun and learn something relevant. As far as I am concerned, every human being has a thirst for knowledge and if we, as teachers, can cater to such needs, students will learn.” By Kerri S. Mabee Robin Grundmeyer Where she lives: Norco Family: Husband, Jonathan; sons, Seth, 6, and John Wayne, 3 Hero defined: Agriculture teacher and agriculture department chair at Norco High School If you think that a high-school agriculture department is a sort of quaint anomaly, suited for a rural area like Norco, but without a great deal of relevance to our modern urban society, you have not spent much time talking with Robin Grundmeyer, agriculture teacher and Chairwoman of the Agriculture Department at Norco High School. “Even with our kids,” she adds, “it amazes me how many of them don’t know where their bacon comes from. It’s important to have an agricultural awareness – to know where the food on your table or the clothes that you’re wearing come from; to have an understanding that there are people out there raising pigs and chickens so that you can have breakfast on Sunday morning.” Grundmeyer also sees her subject as very “forward thinking,” providing important tools that her students will be able to use in any field. “If you were to look at industry as a whole, I really think agriculture is in the forefront of developing new technologies.” New technologies that can wean us away from fossil fuels, save water and be more helpful to the environment. She believes that the intangibles that students get from her classes are as important as the hands-on skills that they learn. “There is a leadership aspect to what we teach,” she says, “that will help them regardless of whether they go into agriculture, business, education or anything else.” Skills such as team-building, communication and readiness to perform a job are qualities that she believes will make her students attractive to future employers. “I really like high-school kids,” Grundmeyer says. “They’re still at an age where they’re impressionable and moldable. You’re helping them at a point in their lives when they are making big decisions and hopefully, helping them make those decisions and the right choices.” By Michael J. Medley Rosie Ortiz Where she lives: Corona Family: Son, Joel, 30; daughters, Megan, 22, and Erica, 20 Hero defined: Social-science teacher at Buena Vista High School in Corona Enthusiasm, persistence and compassion tell the story of Rosie Ortiz, social-science teacher at Buena Vista High School. Her friends and colleagues want everyone to know just how special and how very important she has been to the students and staff at BVHS. Assistant Principal Janet Parks says: “Rosie Ortiz is willing to spend countless hours of her personal time meeting the academic needs of students, especially English-language learners. She is one of the most caring, concerned people I know, and her care reaches out to all who know her. She is a blessing to the Buena Vista High School students, faculty and staff.” As one of 8 children, Ms. Ortiz will tell you that teaching was in her blood. Back then, her siblings were her students. After she received her education at Idaho State University on a scholarship, she decided to move back to her hometown of Corona and invest her talents in the community she so loved. “I truly have a passion for teaching,” says Ortiz. “It is a chance to form little minds, an opportunity to guide and lead.” Ms. Ortiz’s innate gift to inspire and motivate her students is especially crucial at Buena Vista, where, as an alternative school, many students find themselves behind on credits and on the verge of giving up. “The students know that Rosie is available to listen to them, to encourage them and to motivate them. Many of our students are cynical about the school system, but they know and appreciate Rosie’s interest in them as both students and people,” says teacher and colleague Toni Sandell. Her reach extends out into the community as well, where she teaches English to the parents of English-language learners. The program has been successful in empowering families and helping propel their students onto academic achievement. Ortiz has received 2 “Teacher of the Year” awards – 1 at the elementary- school level; the other for high school. “If every teacher had Rosie’s expectations, compassion and energy, we would never have a drop-out problem and students would love coming to school,” says Sandell. By Kerri S. Mabee |
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