W e e k l y RIALTO RECORD
Vol 22, NO. 11
Nov. 23, 2023
Gloria Macias Har rison Presented Key to the Rialto USD, Praises District and Shares Experiences as an Educator
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Gloria Macias Harrison holding her key to the Rialto Unified School District.
By Manny Sandoval
t the November 15, 2023 board meeting of the Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education, Gloria Macias Harrison, Inland Empire Community News Publisher Emeritus and San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees Trustee, was presented with a Key to the District in front of the community.
During the meeting, Harrison shared her experiences as an educator and expressed her gratitude to the RUSD for the support and encouragement she received from her mentors. She also acknowledged the negative experience she had teaching summer classes at Eisenhower, but joked that it taught her a lot and ensured her desire to teach college students moving forward; and she was proud to be part of the district's planning process.
Harrison said, "It's the learning that you garner and can use for good somewhere else. And it was very helpful to me because the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees was also going through a planning process at the time. And so the experience that I had with RUSD was excellent. I knew what to look for when doing our own planning process."
Joseph W. Martinez, Rialto Unified School District Board of Education Clerk, also spoke highly of Harrison, stating, "Gloria Macias Harrison - she is a magnanimous Latina. Since the early 1960s, Harrison has successfully balanced two careers for family life and community activism. Tonight, I am thankful to her for her accomplishments and her support for Rialto students and our community." Harrison is known for her extensive contributions to the community, including being one of the founders of El Chicano in
1969, an alternative press that addresses the need for a Chicano voice in the Inland Empire.
She served as President of Crafton Hills College for 12 years and as Vice President of Instruction for six. Harrison taught for 20 years at San Bernardino Valley College and was Dean of Humanities for three. She retired in 2011 and was elected to the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees in 2012.
Harrison has also served on various state committees on education, including as a Governor's appointee on the California Commission on the Status of Women. She is a member of Kiwanis and is on the Board of the Valley Concert Association, the Brown Legacy, Crafton Hills Foundation, San Bernardino Valley College Foundation, and is currently a member of the League of RUSD, cont. on next pg.
S B V C S t u d e n t & K V C R I n t e r n M a r i a n a L a p i z c o ' s Jo u r n e y : F r o m Bicultural Challenges to Global Stages with Bill Gates & Kamala Harris By Manny Sandoval
ariana Lapizco’s life story reads like a script of resilience and adaptability, written across two nations and numerous life challenges. Born in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, in 1998, Mariana’s early years were split between Mexico and the United States, profoundly shaping her character and future ambitions.
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Reflecting on her childhood, Mariana shares, “Each move between countries was a lesson in adaptability. It was challenging but invaluable in shaping my ability to navigate new environments, a skill I’ve carried into my film career.”
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Mariana Lapizco, 25, began her educational career at SBVC in summer 2017 as part of the Valley Bound Commitment Program.
Her educational journey, starting in Scottsdale, Arizona, was marked by significant transitions. Mariana recalls, “Adapting to English as a young kid in Arizona was initially scary, but I was lucky to have supportive teachers. The real challenge came when I returned to Mexico in third
grade and had to learn to read and write in Spanish.”
Yet another move back to the United States in the eighth grade was a pivotal moment in her life as she permanently relocated to California with her hard-working single mother, also named Mariana Lapizco. Mariana reflects, “Leaving my grandma and friends in Mexico was heart-wrenching. Adjusting to academic life in English, making new friends, and dealing with the emotional turmoil was a struggle.”
At Golden Valley Middle and Cajon High School, Mariana faced language barriers but found her strength in helping others. “I’ve always found joy in aiding others with similar language struggles. It’s a way of giving back, reflecting on my own journey,” she explains. Mariana’s transformational journey at SBVC began with a pursuit in business administration in 2017. However, an opportunity to be involved in an SBVC Film, Television, and Mariana, cont. on next pg.