Please share about your life’s journey and how you found yourself working in the City Heights community.

I was born in Los Angeles, California, but I spent most of my elementary school years in Alexandria, Louisiana living in the home of my grandparents, Elmer and Alma Antwine, and most of their eleven children. I later returned to California to live with my mother, stepfather, brother, and sister. I graduated from Garey High School in Pomona, California and attended Mount San Antonio Community College (Mt. SAC) before transferring to San Diego State University (SDSU). After earning my bachelor’s degree and teaching credential, I returned home to Pomona and began my teaching career at Madison Elementary in 1985.

After two years of teaching in Pomona, I got married, and my wife, Toni, and I moved back to San Diego. I was hired by the San Diego Unified School District and started teaching sixth grade at Horace Mann Middle School in 1987. Horace Mann was considered an “Already Balanced Community” (ABC) and did not require busing. I fell in love with the City Heights community and taught there for the next eleven years, during which I earned my master’s degree and counseling credential. 

I desired to work as a counselor either at Horace Mann or Crawford High School, but there were no open positions, so I accepted a counseling position at Wangenheim Middle School in the Mira Mesa community. After two years, I received a call from Crawford High School offering me a counseling position, and I jumped at the opportunity to return to City Heights in November of 2000.
 
Having been a counselor at Crawford High School for many years, you’ve been an integral part of the school community. Can you share highlights from your work, what you enjoy the most and what you are most proud of?   
  
After working at Crawford for four years, it became one of San Diego Unified School District’s “Small Schools,” which included five academies: Law and Business, Multimedia Visual and Fine Arts, Invention and Design, and Community Health and Medical Practices (CHAMPs). I selected CHAMPs because it not only had a medical pathway but was also supported by AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination), a program I had taught while at Horace Mann.

As the only counselor for CHAMPs, I felt, and still feel, obligated to make sure all our students receive the best education possible. I need to correctly evaluate each student to ensure their graduation from high school and prepare them for life after graduation. I am very proud of our graduation rates and our students’ ability to understand the need to make plans for their future beyond high school.

I will never forget one student, Erica, who arrived at Crawford with the desire to graduate from high school, attend the United States Naval Academy, and become a doctor. Erica and I worked hard to complete all the paperwork to get her into the Naval Academy. I was so proud when Erica was accepted, and even more honored to attend her graduation from the Naval Academy and her wedding a few years later. Erica is now a doctor in the United States Navy.

I must also acknowledge the many students who are now educators, engineers, and professionals in various fields. For example, there is Ryan who is now a pilot for the Navy. Then there is Christian, who received a special clearance from the U.S. Army for his computer expertise and who now handles highly classified material. Most of all, I am proud of the students who have found success through trades and are living the lives they dreamed about when they were in high school.

You seem to have a great rapport with Crawford students. How do you build and maintain such strong relationships with them? 

The rapport I have with Crawford students comes from meeting them where they’re at and encouraging them to think about their desires in life. I talk to the students and keep life real. I am not afraid to share my own story with them, helping them to see we all have our struggles, and that we are not defined by them, but rather by our victories. I show up to as many classroom presentations as I can and attend students’ athletic events. I also shop in the City Heights community often, so I’ll see students at their jobs as I purchase something to eat or just drive down the street.

Is there anything that has surprised you the most over the years as an advocate for City Heights youth?

As an advocate for City Heights youth, I am amazed by our students’ resilience. Most of our students and families are low-income and qualify for the free lunch program. Despite facing negative situations, many of our youth work hard to earn their high school diplomas and continue their education, earning college degrees or certifications for a variety of jobs. Most are the first in their families to graduate from high school, and it is even more remarkable to witness the number of first-generation college graduates from prestigious universities such as Stanford, UCSD, UC Berkeley, UCLA, SDSU, Spellman, Morehouse, Yale, among others.

Do you mind sharing with us a bit about your life outside of your work? What are your other passions, talents, and hobbies that you enjoy?

I begin most days with a cup of coffee, a few minutes of Bible study, breakfast, and reading the delivered newspaper. I save the best for last: the comics, Dear Abby, and the daily Sudoku puzzle. I love information—reading, listening, or watching the news, and sports. I am the number one fan of SDSU football, basketball, baseball, softball, and track and field. My wife and I have season tickets to SDSU football and often travel to away games to support the team.

Mr. Price recognizes you as a City Heights Hero for all you do for our community, and it is clear you’ve become a hero to those you serve in City Heights. What are your thoughts about this recognition?

I can’t believe this, but I am honored to be considered a “City Heights Hero.” I have truly enjoyed my thirty-nine years in education with thirty-five of those years spent in City Heights. Working with students and families of this community has been a pleasure, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing former students grow and blossom. I’ve even had the opportunity to work with multiple generations; I just graduated students who are the children of former students. I enjoy watching Marvel movies and attending Comic-Con, so to be named among the great heroes, I am humbled! Thank you for this honor and I thank God for allowing me to work in City Heights!

Is there anything else about you and your work in City Heights that you would like us to know?

I began my career in education in 1985, and my final year will be 2025, making this my senior year. I will graduate in May 2025 after forty years in education. I am truly proud of my daughters, Lisha, Micah, and Kayla, who are all now college graduates and working in their respective fields as a teacher/counselor, dentist, and paralegal. As a resident of Lemon Grove, I was the first person of color elected to a public office. I served as a school board member for more than twenty years, from May 2002 to December 2022.