Latino Heritage celebrated
Assemblymember Alex Lee celebrated Latino Heritage Month Sept. 23 by honoring six Latino community leaders and a Latino-owned local business. The event was co-hosted by District 5 San Jose City Councilmember Peter Ortiz.
Honorees included Dr. Roxane Fuentes, Superintendent of San Jose’s Berryessa School District; Riko Mendez, CEO of SEIU Local 521; Jessica Paz-Cedillos, co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza; Victoria Salas Salcedo, an English teacher at Rancho Milpitas Middle School; Fernanda Morales, a recent graduate of KIPP San Jose Collegiate who collaborated with San Jose’s mayor to create an ordinance to uphold student safety; Tatiana Villaseñor Carrillo, a community organizer for Latina Coalition Silicon Valley; and Tacos Al Pastor, which hosted the event at its East San Jose location.
Neighborhood Notes
CAMBRIAN>>Leigh High School is among 356 schools across the nation and 33 in California to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School. This recognition highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups.
Leigh was named an Exemplary High-Performing School for students’ performance on state assessments and/or nationally normed tests.
“In addition to rigorous academics, Leigh boasts award-winning music, athletic, visual and performing arts programs, and has over 100 clubs to serve students’ interests,” reads the National Blue Ribbon Schools website.
Leigh was also recognized as a 2024 California Distinguished School.
