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Marciano Gutierrez

Biography

Marciano Gutierrez comes from a single parent and impoverished family, excelled in magnet schools, and earned perfect grades in college. Now he wants to give back by teaching social studies in difficult schools. "I want to provide these youth with a positive example of a Latino who comes from an environment similar to their own but who was able to succeed despite the barriers," he says.

Marciano looks to his mother for inspiration. Though she has only a 3rd-grade reading level, she was determined that Marciano would make the most of his learning opportunities. "My family has experienced poverty, homelessness and hunger," he says, "and yet with my mother as the driving force, we have managed to endure it all." Marciano soared academically and, as a volunteer and in post-college jobs, mentored at-risk kids and worked with local officials on strategies to reduce teenage violence.

Several years ago, having learned that textbooks had ignored the Chicano movement of the 1960s-1970s, when many activists used art to protest inequality, Marciano created a collage that incorporated 30 of their murals. As a teacher, he aims to continue bringing his culture and advocacy experiences to life, specifically by giving his students opportunities to participate in community services through which they can "invest in their community, as well as take pride in themselves."

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