Rene Trabanino

“Homeward Bound” (June 18) filled me with inspiration and pride. As surprising as it may seem to most people, what Rene Trabanino chose as a career is nothing new. He is one of the growing number of Latino college graduates with prestigious educations under their belts who choose to give back to their community by the most direct means available, through pedagogical contact.

I personally know UC Berkeley, Yale and Harvard graduates with undergraduate and graduate degrees who teach in the low-income communities in which they grew up. This commitment should not be questioned as a poor career choice; rather it should be revered and serve as an example of a growing social consciousness among Latino educators to change the status quo. I wholeheartedly believe that those of us who choose to be teachers are convinced that the social-economic future of our community largely depends on the loyalty and sincerity of our future endeavors.

Kudos to Trabanino, and to all the highly educated teachers in our public schools. You are giants and it is your shoulders that future generations will stand on.

CARLOS A. CASTILLO JR.

Los Angeles