Latino Group Will Honor 7 Educators

Seven educators will be honored tonight during the Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund’s fourth annual awards dinner.

The organization offers a variety of programs and scholarships to Latino students throughout the county. It will present Enriqueta L. Ramos the Career Achievement Award. Phyllis Perez, Manuel Espinoza, Toriann V. Lee and Angelina Veyna will receive the Apple of Gold for Excellence in Teaching Award, and Helen Preciado McClure and Don Wise will receive service-leadership awards.

* Ramos, president of Rancho Santiago Community College District, has been teaching English, Spanish and social sciences at Cypress College since 1973. She also serves as a volunteer mentor to dozens of young Latinas.

* Perez is a science teacher at Villa Park High School. She has been described as the “heart and soul” of the campus. She offers free classes that prepare students to take the Scholastic Assessment Test and serves as chairwoman of her school’s staff development committee and site council.

* Espinoza teaches foreign language and social studies at Valley High in Santa Ana, where he is responsible for the school’s successful advanced-placement Spanish classes. Colleagues praise him for incorporating pride in the Mexican culture into his history and geography classes.

* Lee teaches English as a second language at Brea Olinda High School. She twice bicycled 4,000 miles cross-country to raise community awareness and nearly $9,000 for needy high school seniors. With the proceeds, she buys yearbooks, caps and gowns and prom dinners for the students.

* Veyna is an American history and Chicano studies professor at Santa Ana College, where she serves as chairwoman of the history department. College administrators say that her teaching receives the highest praise from students and colleagues.

* McClure is an academic counselor at Coastline Community College. She is known for donating her time to projects, committees and community services to help Latinos.

* Wise is principal of Santiago High School in Garden Grove. He is cited for having strengthened career preparation through his school’s media center and technology lab. His colleagues say he constantly seeks creative ways to increase technology access and expertise.

The fund recognizes teachers because “they really do make a difference in our youth,” said Maria Elena Avila, awards co-chairwoman. “They are the unsung heroes.”

The dinner is a fund-raiser for the organization, which has raised $650,000 toward its goal of $1 million. The money will be used to provide scholarships to Latino students.