Hey Ruby! Thanks for talking with me! Could you give a background of yourself?
Sure! I was born in Watsonville and raised in Moss Landing. I am the daughter of Rudy and Esther Vasquez. My dad immigrated to this country from San Luis Potosi Mexico and my mom was second generation, born in Salinas and grew up in Moss Landing.
I have early memories of my parents modeling how to be of service to others. Whether it was my dad offering a job to someone who just needed a day’s wage to buy food and other necessities, or my mom volunteering as a catechism teacher at our church or teaching English as a second language to students at Moss Landing Elementary school, I learned very early that it was important to be involved in community service.
At the age of 5 years old my mom took my sisters and I to Mexican folklorico dance class. The classes were offered by Maestra Florencia Chavoya. Learning the traditional dances, being exposed to the music, learning about the clothing used for each dance region, all of this taught me about my cultural heritage. Mexican folklorico dance has played a huge role in my life. This art form taught me so much about myself. From feeling comfortable with public performance to being self confident as a group member and learning how to work as a team, Mexican folk dance has been so important to me that I still am very involved with dancing and teaching dance. Currently I am Assistant Director of our local adult dance company Esperanza del Valle. I am also, founder & instructor for my youth dance group Estrellas de Esperanza. Estrellas has over 30 students spanning the grades of Kindergarten through 12th grade. Via traditional dance I am able to teach local youth about Mexican culture and instill within them a pride for their cultural heritage.
My educational background is: I attended Notre Dame High School in Salinas CA, went on to study 2 years at Hartnell Community College, I transferred to UCSC where I got my BA in American Studies and a bilingual, multiple subject teaching credential. I later received my Masters in Educational Leadership from Mills College.
My first 5 years of teaching was at HA Hyde Elementary School in PVUSD. I then taught at Alianza Elementary School which was a bilingual magnet school, which later became the first Two Way Language Immersion program in the district. Currently I’m a TOSA (teacher on special assignment). My assignment is Family Engagement. Professionally, over the years I’ve done the following:
- Kindergarten Teacher
- Mentor Teacher for PVUSD
- A Master Teacher for many individuals in local teacher preparation programs
- A Supervisor of Student Teachers for the New College of California, San Francisco
- Developer of Family Engagement for local educators and student teachers
- UCSC LIFT Mentor (Latinx Initiative for Future Teachers)
- And more…
How did you end up in Santa Cruz?
I was born in Santa Cruz county and decided to remain local in order to establish myself as an educator early in my studies. My goal was to teach and live in the town where my students were from. So Watsonville became my home.
What inspired you to get into education? When and why did you decide to make it a major part of your life?
As an elementary school student I was the one selected by my teachers to help students who were new to our school, students who were struggling with reading or be the one to support younger students in the lower grades. I enjoyed spending time with these students to help them develop their academic skills and I felt like my teachers saw something in me, that’s why they would ask me to tutor these students.
It was in the 7th grade that I decided that I wanted to teach and guide students to reach their goals. During those years, I also noticed that many students entering our school were Spanish speakers, so I realized that I would have to learn Spanish. After years of taking Spanish classes, I did master the language.
I’m SO glad that I became a teacher. I’ve appreciated every opportunity to work with students and parents/caregivers. With every student who has been in my class, I’ve learned so much about myself, they have taught me how to be a better teacher.
You seem to do so many things! What does a day in your life look like?
A typical day has me sending a variety of texts and emails, early in the morning, to the families of Estrellas de Esperanza. Coordinating weekly practices, corresponding with local organizations who invite Estrellas for performances, scheduling the families who will be at the performances, helping to get outfits made, and so much more.
Once at the office, I’m working with our fabulous & talented Family Engagement Team to plan, coordinate and produce the many sessions and events that we offer PVUSD families. In my job I have established collaborations with many local community organizations and other PVUSD departments, with the goal of sharing all of the valuable services we all have to offer.
On certain dates I remain after work to help facilitate or present a parent session/meeting.
On evenings when we do not have parent sessions, I attend meetings with either the Arts Council of Santa Cruz, the Community Foundation, Rise Together Coalition or mentoring with the UCSC LIFT program. I also can be found every Tuesday and Friday practicing with our adult dance company Esperanza del Valle and conducting practice for my youth group on Wednesdays and Fridays.
You are an inspiring person yourself, but who are some people who inspired you?
My parents were definitely the most inspirational for me. As a young teacher I met a couple of veteran teachers who truly modeled the passion for teaching and care for their students, that was Graciela Olivar and Janet Johns. My first dance teacher Florencia Chavoya instilled within me the love for dance and Mexican culture. And every student and parent/caregiver who has gone through my class, or who I have met along the way, have all inspired me to always develop my craft and offer my best.
What is so special about living and learning in Santa Cruz? What about Santa Cruz would you like to change if you could?
I love living here! The beaches, forests,mountains, parks, agricultural land, sloughs, all have so much to offer. These are all beautiful places we can visit and learn from, or learn about. One thing I’d change in our County is the housing situation. It would be awesome to have enough living spaces for local residents and leave the natural environment as is. I would also like to see an increase in teachers’ wages!
How has being a parent affected you and the way you view education and community?
It has been a blessing to have had the opportunity to be a mom. I’ve learned SO much about myself and it has allowed me to understand that “teaching” is being a “guide”, someone who can walk alongside the child/student and provide support as needed.
What is so essential and exciting about connecting with someone’s family history and culture?
Connecting with family history and culture offers a person a deeper understanding of themselves and reminds us of who came before us and of the hard work they had to do, so that we can be where we are at today.
Do you have any aspirations you are looking forward to?
My dream is to return to Mexico with a group of my student dancers so that they can learn right from the source, be immersed in the culture, and better understand the dances that they perform. Being that a vast majority of Watsonville residents have immigrated from Michoacan, I would love for a group of Estrella dancers to travel there.
What are you most looking forward to in the rest of 2024?
Our dance company, Esperanza del Valle, in partnership with Cabrillo College, has established a collaboration with the University of Veracruz, Mexico. This collaboration will bring dancers and musicians from Veracruz, to Santa Cruz County, to offer the first annual “Reinforcing Cultural Identity” dance and music conference, right here in Santa Cruz County. The conference will feature dance & music classes for adults and youth, a community fandango, 2 distinct gala performances, lectures & demonstrations and more! I’m looking forward to offering this very unique cultural experience to our local community.
Where can people connect and get engaged with the things that you do and support?
Those who are interested in supporting the work I do with PVUSD Family Engagement can connect via email ruby_vasquez@pvusd.net
To get more information about the “Reinforcing Cultural Identity” dance and music conference visit the Esperanza del Valle website: http://www.esperanzadelvalle.org
See what Estrellas de Esperanza is up to at https://www.facebook.com/EstrellasDeEsperanza
Monetary donations can be made at: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/estrellasdeesperanza
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I am very grateful to the person who nominated me for this Nexties award, it was a surprise and I thank LookOut & Event Santa Cruz for taking the time to shine a light on many local folks who are doing special things for our county.
That is very flattering. Thank you for all of your work and for taking the time to chat with us! Thats all the questions we have for you! Get your ticket to the NEXTies to come say hi to Ruby and other movers and shakers being highlighted at this years’ May 17th NEXTies awards! See you there!
