A Lifelong Commitment to Education and Community
My name is Colin Lee Elliott Glaves and I am running for the Mission and West Valley Community College Board of Trustees in Area 3. I was born and raised in California in a community college family: both of my parents and my brother were and are community college teachers. I understand the titanic workload and immense responsibility our teachers face throughout their careers.
The education I received from my community college prepared me for the rigors of a 4-year university and the professional world. For the last decade, and change, I have worked in engineering in the manufacturing industry, serving aerospace, rail, large off-road equipment, and energy infrastructure.
A community college's mission is to serve its community and provide opportunities to its members, and there is no group of people who know better what it takes to carry out that mission than teachers. I am deeply supportive of educators' values to ensure students are academically prepared for higher education and career success. Our communities are healthier and happier when we train students for jobs where they are compensated fairly and work conditions are good.
I practice Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) in my free time, which boosted my abilities in high stress situations and made me more comfortable with quick thinking and decisive action. I will be a forceful voice and a staunch ally for the teachers, the students, and the community on the Board of Trustees. I will stand in solidarity with teachers, students, and the community and push for better conditions in and out of classrooms.