Desiring to give back to his community, Michael A. Cervantes endeavored to become an educator, drawing upon his own love of teaching. Now retired, he most recently served as an elementary school teacher at El Rancho Unified School District. Beginning his tenure at the district in 1976, Mr. Cervantes served in several roles, including as a kindergarten teacher, a first through fifth grade teacher, a teacher of Spanish as a second language in the Gifted and Talented Education Program, and a district chair. Notably, he established the district’s bilingual/bicultural program. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cervantes served at the Valle Lindo School District as a bilingual teacher and third and fifth grade teacher between 1972 and 1976.
Currently, Mr. Cervantes serves in numerous positions relative to his community, including as an editor for the San Gabriel Historical Association since 2024. Since 1991, he has also been the vice president of the El Rancho Federation of Teachers, and since 1990, he has been a consultant for the Planning Task Force at the El Rancho Unified School District. Notably, he previously served as the acting president and is now recognized as the president of the San Gabriel Veterans Memorial Coalition, having also been a co-coordinator for the Liturgical Ministry of Eucharistic Ministers since 2024.
Highly educated, Mr. Cervantes holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in education from California State College. In 1985, he earned a Master of Arts in Chicano studies from California State University, Los Angeles. To give back to his alma mater, he serves as a mentor for the California State University Alumni Association, where he guides university students in the fields of education, literature and Chicano studies. A certified elementary teacher and certified bilingual specialist in the state of California, Mr. Cervantes is proud of earning the Alumni Recognition Award from San Gabriel Mission High School in 2019. He has also received a plethora of grants in his field.
Mr. Cervantes emphasizes that his achievements would not have been possible were it not for the support of his family and peers, who all have served as a guiding light throughout his life. Looking toward the future, Mr. Cervantes intends to continue enjoying his well-deserved retirement and allocating funds to support students seeking to enter the education sector.