I am a product of the Salinas Valley. My name is Ivan A. Ibarra Mora and I was born in Jalisco, Mexico, though we immigrated in my early adolescence to Soledad, CA which I am proud to still call home. As a first-gen and the only one in my family to attend college, I am committed to serving my community in achieving social mobility and secure prosperity–in college, career, and life! I earned my Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of California. I also hold a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Notre Dame, where I served as a Teaching Fellow. I began my career as an educator teaching fifth grade in Rio Grande City, Texas. I served two years before relocating to my hometown, Soledad, CA to teach in my former school district (the same elementary school I attended as a kid).
I currently serve as the Outreach and Recruitment Manager for Alder Graduate School of Education. In this capacity, I am also the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Coalition for Diverse Educators, a coalition committed to providing professional development to undergraduate students, especially students of color and first-generation college students. We offer educational opportunities and resources to equip first-gen students to access post-graduate opportunities in the education field, especially motivate them to consider a teaching pathway. I am also the lead and facilitator of El Comite de Gonzales, a parent education advocacy group in the City of Gonzales that empowers and educates parents in navigating the education system; especially inspire them to get involved in the shared governance of the local district.
I have always lived on the prefix “to whom much is given, much is expected.” I firmly believe that as a collective, we can and will make our communities better for those to come, si se puede!