Corina for Alum Rock!

My Story

Like so many in our community, my parents, Jose Luis and Martha Herrera, migrated from Valparaiso, Zacatecas, MX, to the US, seeking a better future for our family. They sacrificed and worked hard to provide and always emphasized the importance of an excellent public education.  Because of my parent’s values and example, I believe in a quality education for all.

I grew up in a tough neighborhood and experienced the adversity many youth face today. I also saw the value of positive role models and understood their impact on me and others. They helped us believe in ourselves and provided opportunities to develop our strengths. They encouraged us to pursue higher education and continue advocating for future generations.

I was inspired to make a difference in people’s lives. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. While working full-time, I graduated from San Jose State University with three baccalaureate degrees and later earned my Master’s in Public Administration. I achieved these goals because of the love and support from my family, friends, and my community.

Since 1997, I have served members of the Alum Rock Union School District and community in various capacities. As a Youth Outreach Worker for the City of San Jose, I helped to save lives, working with the highest risk, gang-impacted youth, many of whom I continue to be connected with today. At The Alum Rock Counseling Center, I had the privilege of overseeing mentoring programs connecting youth with trusted professional adults in the community who supported them with a lens into the possibilities of life while learning to cope with social-emotional challenges. At Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, with my oversight, our team supported survivors through their darkest moments, providing them with the critical resources and support to leave violent conditions and begin seeing the possibilities of a new violence-free life. As an adjunct professor at San Jose State University, ranked number four in the country, I taught Public Speaking as part of the Chicano/a Studies Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream of returning to teach at my alma mater. During the COVID-19  pandemic, I was called to serve as a public information officer for the Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center, utilizing my bilingual/bicultural skillset to help bring timely lifesaving information to our community. As an 18-year veteran Juvenile Deputy Probation Officer for the County of Santa Clara, I have had the honor of supporting systems-impacted youth and families with a healing-centered approach to breaking the cycles of the schools-to-prison pipeline. As a member of these professional communities committed to the health and wellbeing of our children and families, I know that together, we rise!

As an Alum Rock Union School District parent, I was painfully impacted by the dysfunction of school board members. My daughter Citlali and her peers saw the disrespectful and dismissive attitude that certain Board members have toward students and parents. I saw the injustice, and with the support of other parents, I was appointed to the School board in February 2019 and have served as an ARUSD Trustee for over five years. I am proud of the progress we have made. With community members and school advocates, I championed several social justice initiatives- introducing an ethnic studies resolution, leading efforts to break the school-to-prison pipeline, and championing teacher workforce housing. There is so much more to do. Our children and families deserve to continue to have an advocate on their behalf while we push our ARUSD forward during this challenging time because, TOGETHER, WE RISE!