Adriana Alba (2020)
Diverse Community Leader Award
Adriana Alba (Garden Grove) – Adriana Alba is a teacher at GGHS who goes above and beyond her job description each day to create a safe and respectful school environment for all Garden Grove students. Adriana became the advisor to the Bridges Program at GGHS 7 years ago because she wanted to be a champion for positive human relations on campus. The Bridges Program quickly became a force on campus, not only focused on its own work but on bringing student organizations together. To date Adriana’s vision for the campus has brought together the following student groups to amplify their efforts: the Black Student Union, the She Club, Link Crew, the English Learner Advisory Council, the Gay Straight Alliance, Latinos Unidos, MeCha, the GGHS Dance and Theater Programs, Girl’s League, National Alliance for Mental Illness, Korean Club. These alliances have put together: unity nights, scholarship programs, student forums, student assemblies, hosted guest speakers, and fundraising. One of the largest events these programs put on are the educational programs on topics including: how we are united through culture and identity, how to improve school climate, working with people with disabilities, student leadership, how to register to vote, anti-bullying, the contributions of Cesar Chavez, and self-defense and empowerment.
In the time she has been at Grove she has also created a new course on Mexican American Literature and Culture – to which she regularly brings authors and artists to learn from directly – and helped develop another course on Ethnic Studies to help give students an understanding of “how race, ethnicity and culture have shaped and continue to shape individuals in American society.” This has been in addition to the requirements of the Bridges Program – organizing multiple human relations retreats for students and staff, taking students to the Walk in My Shoes Conference, weekly program meetings, and campus wide events. Any and all work Adriana does is voluntary which simply expresses how passionate and motivated she is to further enhance her school and community.
About the Award
Our annual Diverse Community Leaders Award honors individuals and groups who have made extraordinary contributions to Orange County in human or civil rights.
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