Millennium Magazine_7th Ed

64 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine EDUCATION D esiring to give back to his community, Michael A. Cervantes decided to become a teacher to better serve students. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1971 and Master of Education in 1978, both from California State College, he also later received a Master of Arts in Chicano studies from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1985. At the inception of his career in 1972, he was a fifth grade teacher for the Valle Lindo School District, and soon transitioned to bilingual teacher and third grade teacher until 1979. Joining the El Rancho Unified School District at that time, he notably served the district for 31 years until his retirement in 2010. During his tenure, he was an elementary educator, chairman, and teacher of Spanish as a second language for the Gifted and Talented Education Program. Impressively, he aided in the development of the bilingual and bicultural program for the district. Mr. Cervantes has remained a planning task force member of the El Rancho Unified School District since 1990 and, since 1991, has been the vice president of the El Rancho Federation of Teachers. A frequent consultant in the field, he has also maintained affiliation with the American Federation of Teachers, the International Literacy Association, the California State Alumni Association and the International Labor Communication Association, among other organizations. Demonstrating versatility in his profession, Mr. Cervantes has also worked on the El Rancho Federation of Teachers’ “Unity Newsletter” from 1990 to 1994, and contributed to the San Gabriel Mission Fiesta “Souvenir Program Book” between 1998 and 2019. He is also a Eucharisticminister, photographer for Mission Fiesta and past chairman for the Catholic Juvenile Youth Group. Since 2000, he has been a union chair for the Modified Day Committee. As a testament to his success in the industry, Mr. Cervantes has accrued numerous accolades, such as the San Gabriel Mission High School Alumni Recognition Award in 2019. He was also nominated as the vice president of the Teachers Union and is a frequent grantee in his field. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, racquetball, bicycling, watching movies, photography, the theatre and ballet. MICHAEL A. CERVANTES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATOR El Rancho Unified School District San Gabriel, CA