EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Cover Story
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If you have never made a list of heroes, you do not know how difficult it is. If you have attempted to compile a hero list, you understand the impossibility of completely defining the group. A hero’s list is a feel, a moment, a sense, a compilation of names. It is about good deeds now done, being done, and to be done. OC Family Magazine has compiled its first heroes list. A common thread is that most are teachers, either in the true sense that they work out of a classroom, or in the broader definition in that they are leaders who happen to teach. Within these profiles, you will discover the magic of how each makes a difference in the lives of those they touch. With this year’s group, the beneficiaries are children, first-time fathers, athletes, future leaders, and students with the appetite to learn. 01 Cathy Smith Residence: San Juan Capistrano Family: Husband Clark; and two sons, Scott, 21, and Ryan, 19 Hero defined: She is a kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s in Aliso Viejo. Cathy Smith always goes the extra mile for her students both literally and figuratively. The St. Mary’s kindergarten teacher recently participated for the third time in the Diabetes Walk for a Cure because two of her students a current one and a former one are affected by it. She did it for two reasons: to show her support to the families and to learn more about the disease so she could better help a young boy in her class. Such acts are not uncommon for the educator. “ They’re not just my students. They are a part of my heart,” she says. “I tell the parents that I’ve already adopted all of them into my family. So the passion is very easy. You will do anything for your family.” As a veteran of nine years at St Mary’s, a non-denominational Christian school in Aliso Viejo, Smith begins and ends each school day with a hug as a way to make sure she connects with all 22 of her pint-sized students. In between, she keeps their attention with an interactive teaching style so much that when the school bell rang at 3 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, none of her students budged. “ They give me more than I could ever give to them,” she says. “They bless me every day with their enthusiasm, their love, their sense of wonder. I’m the one who should be thanking them.” A further testament to her loving heart is all the places you’ll find her outside the classroom walls. Soccer games, birthday parties, hula competitions, piano recitals, Smith - who commits to each student that she will attend one activity with them outside of school is a regular guest. Her compassion doesn’t stop there. She often stops by to spend a moment with her students who are in the school’s after-school daycare program. Sometimes she sits on the floor with them for a chat; other times she takes them to the school library to read a book together. And when the mother of twins who were in her class several years ago became pregnant with quadruplets, Smith was there helping the family. Today, the foursome attend St. Mary’s preschool program. No wonder so many students and their parents come back year after year to visit. As one parent wrote in a poem, “Because of all this and more, I wish Mrs. Smith to know that she is now, and always will be, my hero.” 02 Greg Bishop Residence: Irvine Family: Wife Alison; and four children, Jonathan, 24, Jennifer, 21, Katherine, 18, and Peter, 17 Hero defined: He is founder of Irvine-based Boot Camp for New Dads, a nonprofit organization that last year celebrated its 15-year anniversary. He also is CEO of Trauma Care of America, Inc., and founder of the National Foundation for Trauma Care. Greg Bishop comes from a family of 13 children. “All of us were raised taking care of babies; it’s just what we did.” He and his wife have four children, and he has changed plenty more diapers. But that doesn’t really mean that Bishop is a father of four. He has been a father figure to thousands of men. More than 120,000 fathers-to-be have gathered since 1990 at hospitals and similar facilities to listen to Bishop and other coaches give them the lowdown about something rather important what to do as a new dad, to talk about being a new dad, and to leave the 3-hour workshop armed to be a new dad. They are enrolled in the nonprofit Boot Camp for New Dads. (Many of the new dads come back as “veterans” with their new babies to help teach classes.) Having a baby is one thing, being a responsible parent is another. Bishop’s goal is to bring out the best of the male species, so that the baby benefits, the dad benefits, the marriage benefits, and so society benefits. Some 300 trained coaches work in 39 states, as well as Japan, serving more than 200 communities from Orange County to the Inland Empire and beyond. From the beginning, Bishop has been there, guiding the Orange County-based program, expanding it, creating a New Fathers Foundation to help pay the expenses. The plan is to expand to 500 communities in all 50 states and internationally beyond Japan. A book, available online, was written by Bishop (“Hit the Ground Crawling,” $17.95, June 2005, www.newdads.com; for more information about the program, www.bcnd.org). The book synthesizes what he knows, and what he has learned. His observation of dads to be? “They just don’t know what to do. How to act. It’s different than it used to be, and they generally didn’t have a role model. And men do not network, do not talk to each other about this. Guys tend to get more isolated.” The workshops bring out the parenting instinct that is typically bubbling at the surface for new moms. “ Becoming a father is all about manhood,” Bishop says. “It is often mischaracterized as women’s work, that somehow men are less men when they get involved with babies. But those who do the job, they will tell you it is one of the toughest things they’ve ever had to do. And when you do it, it feels good to be a man. When you are taking care of a little baby, this is all about being a man. Our man-to-man approach has really tapped into these feelings.” The perceived lack of confidence among new fathers is what prompted Bishop, a trauma care expert, to open a workshop at Irvine Medical Center to provide “a little orientation.” The hospital today is one of three in Orange County that host monthly workshops. Boot Camp for New Dads celebrated its 15th anniversary last year. “My motivation at this point is I want grandkids,” Bishop says. “But also my motivation is that this has made me a better father than I otherwise would have been.” Of course, he has great hope for future dads. “If a dad is a great dad, it means he’s doing his very best on a consistent basis…A bad dad is one that doesn’t get it, doesn’t understand or appreciate how important he is to his children, and how important they are to him; he simply doesn’t know what he is missing.” 03 Jillian Madrid Residence: Mission Viejo Family: Mom Leah; dad Johnny; and younger sister Madison Hero defined: She is the founder of Angels in Motion, which donates items such as books and toys to children. It is quite an accomplishment when you find yourself running your own business purely to help out those less fortunate, especially at 13 years old. Angels in Motion founder Jillian Madrid, an eighth-grader at Newhart Middle School in Mission Viejo and a future doctor, recruited her sister and three of her friends to help run the 2-year-old company. When Jillian was 8, she wanted her mother, Leah, to buy her one of the Harry Potter books, but her mom told her that a lot of children don’t have even one book. So, Leah suggested that Jillian collect books for the poor. And she did. Jillian collected more than 500 books and 20 videos for Orangewood Children’s Home and helped build a library for the children who have been taken from their families. From there she kept on giving, including 12 inches of her hair, donated to a group that makes wigs for cancer patients. Jillian, along with her parents, then decided to found Angels in Motion (AIM). Soon after, she and her friends collected almost $3,000 in toys, just from schoolmates, friends and family. Orangewood again benefited. After finishing her homework, she plans out business meetings and PowerPoint presentations. Her friend Chelsea is the artist, designing logos; buddy Cynthia is the writer, coming up with the letters and flyers; and Kellie is the hands-on person of the group, collecting all the toys. Her sister, Madison, helps out anyway she can. Presently, the nonprofit has almost $3,000 just in Beanie Babies. Jillian says, “We have some money left over from last year and so we’re giving some of (the money) to Laura’s House (a domestic violence shelter).” When asked what advice she would give to others who want to help, Jillian says, “Just think about making other people happy.” And that is exactly what she does and will continue to do. 04 Michael Ruane Residence: Irvine Family: Wife Jayne; and sons Kevin, 15, and Kyle, 12 Hero defined: He is the executive director of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. As one of the most visible people in Orange County, Michael Ruane can be found most anywhere from high-level government meetings and corporate affairs to higher education campuses and nonprofit agencies. His presence is good for the county as a whole, and even better for those who benefit directly from his leadership and service. Ruane is executive director of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. The agency, formed in 1999 as a result of Proposition 10, is responsible for the allocation of tobacco tax revenue to health and education programs for young children and their families. Last year alone, the lives of more than 80,000 children ages 5 and under were touched through the disbursement of $39 million to organizations that support the commission’s vision that all children are healthy and ready to succeed when they enter school. Efforts, though, go beyond simply writing a check. The school readiness nurse expansion in 2004, for example, brought a school-based nurse for children 0-5 to every elementary school district in Orange County that chose to participate. In addition to funding, the commission addressed recruitment, training and placement, and support issues. Similarly, the Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County was created to improve the oral health of children through programs directed at prevention, education, access to treatment services and advocacy. “The most rewarding part is when we create hope,” Ruane says. Other ongoing efforts include researching and assessing county needs to determine where funding will have the greatest impact. Rather than a quick fix to ease the pain, Ruane looks to the future which comes as no surprise considering his background and training. A graduate from UCLA, he holds a master’s degree in architecture and urban planning and currently is a guest lecturer in the graduate program in urban and regional planning at UC Irvine. Prior to the commission, he served as assistant county executive officer for strategic and Intergovernmental affairs. 05 Jerry Palazzo Residence: Cowan Heights Family: Wife Van; sons Stephen, 16, Michael, 13, and Anthony, 8 Hero defined: The systems analyst who designs and develops mainframe computer systems is coach of the Tustin-based Equalizers Track Club; he coaches the 8-14-year-olds interested in long-distance and cross country competition. Jerry Palazzo is a living, breathing prototype of the youth coach for which dreams are made for the parents who cannot believe they have found a kindred soul of compassion and instruction, and for the athlete who wants to excel for all the right reasons. This isn’t about Coach; this is about them. Palazzo’s sharp mind for statistics and total recall of runners’ personal best times are matched by an uncanny ability to make each runner feel special. Sure, success has come quickly and somewhat surprisingly under Palazzo’s short tenure heading up the Equalizers Track Club. The nonprofit, youth distance running program draws heavily from the Tustin schools but also has runners from Brea, Yorba Linda and Fullerton. Last year, Palazzo’s first as the leader, six of his runners qualified for the cross country nationals. This year, 41 went in December. There are 52 runners in his running program. His recipe for success? “Two things. First, I have a passion for the sport. Secondly, motivation, inspiration. I can motivate the kids to bring out their best. I don’t sugar-coat, but when they deserve credit, they get credit.” As a longtime runner, Palazzo, 49, can easily envision what lies ahead before the starting gun goes off. “To stand at a starting line on a long-distance race, and face the agony your body will go through, is terrifying. I did it 50 times in high school alone. They need to be properly inspired to do that, and they have to believe in themselves. That, I think, is the key to coaching. Anyone can buy a book and figure out track workouts.” Sometimes, it is a quick moment that means much. “I told this one girl, ‘Think strong and you will be strong.’ A few weeks later, her mom told me, ‘She keeps saying that over and over to herself.’” And yet, on the track at Foothill High where parents eagerly volunteer to take down split times, or on miles-long jaunts through city streets or regional parks, an informality defines the scene. There is, hard to believe in this day and age of hyper-competitiveness, an air of respect and calm. The mantra appears to be, by doing your best, you will succeed. Some of that comes from the one-for-all, all-for-one aspect of cross country. Teams typically have eight runners in a race and the top five score, and those five have to do well for the team to succeed. “The fact that they are facing adversity together, you can’t fool each other when you are out working hard together,” Palazzo says. “They are suffering together; they are conquering together. It creates a bond and a friendship.” The Palazzo family is an example. The entire family runs: Jerry and his wife, Van, Foothill High standout Stephen, club star Michael, and 8-year-old Anthony, who now breaks 24 minutes in 5K races. The team recently competed in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships for the Southern California Association, a qualifying meet at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. From there, most of his runners advanced to the Southwestern Regional Junior Olympic Championships to qualify for the nationals. In that first race, Palazzo, by design, had a different phrase of encouragement for each of his runners as they went by. So here’s the final chapter of the year. At the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in December in Smithfield, R.I., the best of Palazzo’s finishers were the 11-12-year-old Midget boys, who took fourth. The 9-10-year-old Bantam boys tied for fourth. The other teams finished seventh, eighth, and 12th. (Club founder Roy Crawford, coaching the 15-16-year-old Intermediate boys, took the national title.) Says Palazzo: “Overall, I was real happy. You have to step back and see the big picture to go from six (to nationals) last year to taking 41 in the same age divisions is mind-boggling. None of those come easy; not a single one comes easy. “This season was not about winning races; it was about developing strength of character through distance running. Winning races is a byproduct of that done well.” Information: jerrypalazzo@cox.net 06 Becky Yacenda Residence: Santa Ana Family: Husband Jim; and two daughters Carla and Julia, both adults Hero defined: She is a first-grade teacher at Carl Harvey Elementary School in Santa Ana. Becky Yacenda is in love. She is so in love that she made it her mission more than 30 years ago to engross herself completely in this passionate love affair, the Spanish language, and the idea of becoming a bilingual teacher. “I saw the need for myself to serve as a model for the Hispanic community and Spanish-speaking students,” says Yacenda. “I believe that your language is your existence, so I worked really hard to make myself bilingual in order to communicate with my students and their parents.” Although Yacenda is required to teach English-only in the classroom today, her commitment has given her the tools to open up doors beyond her required classroom duties as a teacher. There is a reward involved: She was recently named Santa Ana Unified School District Teacher of the Year. With more than 25 years of bilingual education experience, Yacenda has become an informal outreach consultant by connecting the parents of her students with the community resources that they need. The vast majority of Yacenda’s students come from families where Spanish is the dominant language. “Teaching today has changed a lot; not only are we concerned about making sure students reach and meet state standards in education, but also we have to deal with the language and socioeconomic issues,” Yacenda says. Yacenda also teaches night adult literacy classes. She meets with, trains, encourages and connects parents with English-learning classes and sends home packets she creates in Spanish explaining the curriculum. “I push parents to learn English and I do all of this extra work for them so that they can help their child at home because it helps us all. It’s a true partnership.” As well as taking on the role of a community worker for her students and their families, Yacenda is also a mentor teacher setting up workshops for new and experienced teachers throughout the district on classroom management, reading, cultural and English language development. “We’re all looking for ways to improve ourselves,” Yacenda says. She does so by helping others. “Those are the things that I strive to do; it’s my mission in life.” 07 Tom Healey Residence: Anaheim Hills Family: Single Hero defined: He is the middle school director at Heritage Oak Private Education in Yorba Linda, who left a six-figure income in the corporate work with adolescents. For many students, it’s about someone believing in them, who taps the potential despite resistance and mistakes along the way. For dozens and dozens of young people, that person is Tom Healey. Healey used to live in the corporate world; today, his passion has shifted from the water cooler to the academic and social development of future leaders. He uses his business skills to manage and direct the private school’s sixth- through eighth-grade program. His suggestions and leadership have prompted the introduction of block scheduling, new science programs and activities, participation in the Orange County Academic Pentathlon, and additional elective classes. His greatest gift is an ability to unfold the road marked “potential.” The Anaheim Hills resident understands that youth need to be as comfortable with their self-image as they are with their gpa. His commitment and compassion, he says, stems from the loss of his own father who died when Healey was very young. Not wanting other children to feel alone as he sometimes did, he began volunteering at Project Together. The countywide program, part of the Orange County Mental Health Department, operates under the same philosophy as Big Brothers. Boys without a significant male in their life are paired with an adult male. For nine years, Healey served as both a mentor and friend to several boys in need. Several times he was honored as Volunteer of the Year. “Children all have different issues”, he says. “But it boils down to, ‘Why didn’t somebody pay attention to me?’” As director of Heritage Oak’s middle school, Healey continues to reach out. As he says of the student who wrote the note that began this report: “He needed somebody to believe in him.” And Tom Healey did. 08 Fred and Patty Duarte Residence: Santa Ana Family: Children Victoria, 17, Tawnie, 16, Jasmine, 15, Rebecca, 13, Erica, 12, Nicolas, 9, Freddy, 8, Julianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. Hero defined: The couple have adopted nine children through the Orange County Social Services Agency. Orange County has been blessed with Fred and Patty Duarte. The couple have blended a loving and closely-knit family together, consisting of nine adopted children, all born into neglect, abuse and other issues. Unable to conceive children of their own, the Duartes never stopped dreaming of having lots of kids. At one point, they agreed upon eight. They first tried open adoption (baby was stillborn), and later were going to adopt from Mexico (biological mother changed her mind at the last minute). After those disappointments, the Duartes decided to go through the county and adopted their first child, Tawnie, in October 1991 when she was just 2 years old. Soon after adopting, the honeymoon period ended, but Patty says, “Fifteen years of thinking I may never be able to be a mom” were wiped away. They adopted four more girls, Victoria, Jasmine, Rebecca and Erica all biological sisters. The Duartes thought that would be it, but then Freddy (who wants to be president someday) came along and so Fred finally got his son. Nicolas, then later his sister and half-brother, Julianna and Joseph, were added to the family. Patty says, “God has truly blessed us with our babies. He really has. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.” Fred, an engineer, and Patty, who homeschools the kids and washes at least six loads of clothes daily, prefer spending time with their family. Fred says that being a parent is “much more rewarding than any career.” Patty says, “I don’t even think of them as adopted kids, I just think of them as our children.” After repeatedly increasing the size of their cars, they now have a 15-passenger van with extra room, but that may not last for long. They have been told their home’s capacity allows for them to have two more children. Fred says that is still a question mark, but Patty adds, “I think I could make two more kids out there happy…you know, why not? Life is so short.” 09 Robin Gormin Residence: Laguna Niguel Family: Husband Jeff; and children Derek, 21;, and Ashley, 19 Hero defined: She is an art teacher at Fairmont Private Schools’ Mable campus in Anaheim. Robin Gormin has been tested more than once during her 20-year tenure as an art teacher at Fairmont Private Schools. From the early days when the trunk of her car served as a storage unit for her supplies to her recent bout with breast cancer, her courage and dedication have prevailed. Her most recent, and biggest, challenge came in May 2004 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through it, she remained involved with her students. She stayed in constant contact with the guest teacher. And when her condition improved, she made visits to the classroom after the students had gone home to go over upcoming lessons and teach her fill-in how to present them. She also took home and graded all her student’s work. Her strong work ethic, she says, comes from her dad. “My father volunteered, was a hard worker, owned his own company,” she says. “And no matter what, I knew it didn’t matter what happened at the house, he had to go back to the business and take care of whatever the job needed.” Her commitment plays out in other ways as well, from the numerous lesson plans tailored for each grade level to keeping a watchful eye for things outside the norm that her students may express through their artwork. She also takes into account the varying learning styles and incorporates each into her lesson plans. Gormin, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art from San Diego State University, realized her love for art when her parents first gave her a coloring book. Her passion for children was noted in her early teens while babysitting. It was during these years that Gormin first merged her two loves. She did art projects with the children she babysat. The Laguna Niguel resident, who appreciates every day she is given and looks at life differently since her diagnosis, is just as enthusiastic as she was 20 years ago. “I think when I was diagnosed, the hardest thing was as much as I love my family, but my kids are grown up I was worried about not being able to come back. So I wanted to still be here, even though I wasn’t here.” And what was it like when she was finally able to return full time? “When I came back. I felt like I was home.” 10 Rueben Martinez Residence: Santa Ana Family: Three children and 10 grandchildren Hero defined: He is owner of Libreria Martinez Books & Art in Santa Ana, one of the country’s largest Spanish-language bookstores, and a social entrepreneur. Reading not only opens the mind, it opens opportunities. And Rueben Martinez, surrounded as he is at his bookstore in Santa Ana, understands the bottom line of literacy. “A book makes a man, a book makes a woman, and a book makes a young person bigger, stronger and better,” he says. “Literature is the fountain to wisdom. Every book I have read is like a professor to me, a teacher.” From that experience, he has for decades been a national spokesman, an advocate, of young people getting a college education, speaking before more than 1 million people from corporate events to elementary classrooms. And in an era when Orange County’s demographic is titling toward the young Latino, Martinez, 65, sees that the potential for taking personal control of economic possibilities has never been stronger. But you have to be able to read; you have to go to college. The future is about high-paying jobs, reserved for highly educated young adults. Martinez’ parents, Mexican natives, never went to college. Neither did he. “My three kids went on to higher education,” he says. “And my 10 grandkids are talking about a higher education. So it took three generations, but the young ones are talking about Berkeley, about Yale, about the best colleges in the nation.” Martinez is a father figure to many. He speaks to CEOs about leadership, and he speaks to schoolchildren and college students about setting goals and reaching them. He owns one of the nation’s largest Spanish-language bookstores; next door is his children’s bookstore, where guest readers are the norm. Last year, Martinez won the MacArthur Foundation grant, given to a handful of Americans each year for improving the human condition. “The name of the game is being prepared for the future job market,” he says. “Not only having the education, but the right attitude and the personality to go with the job. And have the desire after getting that education. “It’s all about discipline, being focused. Self-discipline, self-respect, self-worth. And believe in yourself that everything and anything is possible.” Photos opening page by David Kawashima |
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