Candidate for
Board Member; Santa Ana Unified School District

CECILIA AGUINAGA BIOGRAPHY

Contact Information Phone: (714) 478-2918 Email: ceci4sausd@gmail.com Website: ceciliaaguinaga.com

Education: Associate of Arts Degree (Santa Ana College, Santa Ana CA)

Cecilia was born in Jalisco, México and immigrated to the United States in 1978. She has lived more than 35 years in the city of Santa Ana in Orange County, California with her husband, Armando Aguinaga. Cecilia and her husband, have two sons (Ramsey and Allan) and a daughter (Sylvia). Ramsey becomes a police officer for the Santa Ana and Los Angeles Police Department, and Allan graduated from the Culinary School of the Arts. Their daughter Sylvia graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District while simultaneously working towards her Master's degree. Cecilia and her husband have owned a business for more than 50 years in the City of Santa Ana.

After helping her husband manage the business, Cecilia became interested and devoted to helping children become successful in school. She identified with the local population and realized that many students faced difficulties with language barriers, financial hardships, and crime. Cecilia did not want students to have the limitations that she encountered herself and wanted to help provide students more opportunities. She started working for the District of Santa Ana in 1994 as an Instructional Teacher Assistant at the elementary level. She was promoted to a Bilingual Special Education Teacher Assistant at a high school level where she worked for 7 years. Then she was promoted as a Bilingual Community Worker, and later received a promotion as a School Police Parent Coordinator. She worked for the District of Santa Ana for 15 years. Cecilia was appointed to the Human Relations Commission of the City of Santa Ana from 2004-2009. She served as a Chair and later, Vice Chair of the Human Relations Commission. In this role, she presided over the selection of social services programs and funds, to improve the quality of life in the City of Santa Ana. Cecilia was the first woman President in their 85 years of history of the Lions Club of the City of Santa Ana. As a Lions Club member, she was devoted helping the children of Santa Ana with their eye problems. Cecilia has served as President, Vice President, Parliamentarian, Historian, Ways and means, and she is currently an active member of the PTA (Parent Teachers Association) Council for The Santa Unified School District. This inspired her to help to become an advocate for parents and their school- age children. She was a board member of the executive board for LYLI Latino Youth Leadership Institute organization, to help high school students become leaders, within their community.

Cecilia was also was very involved in school and community programs including but not limited to the following:

• English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC),
• District Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) Puente,
• Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID),
• Santa Ana High School Site Council,
• SAUSD Workability and Transition Partnership Program,
• Floral Park Neighborhood Association,
• Bristol-Warner Neighborhood Association,
• Central-Mid City Neighborhood Association,
• Delhi Neighborhood Association,
• Fairlawn Gardens Neighborhood Association,
• Comlink Neighborhood Associations During her service with The Santa Ana Unified School District, she has learned about student needs and understands the issues that need attention in education. Her involvements in the following boards and committees have given her extensive experience and knowledge in the field of education:

• Public Relations Coordinator for the Executive Board Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE)
• Santa Ana Unified School District Superintendent Classified Cabinet Representative
• Santa Ana Unified School District Vice President of the Parent Teachers and Students Association (PTSA) at Santa Ana High School
• Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Council, Historian and Parliamentarian for the Santa Ana Unified School District
• CSEA cite representative and active member of her union to protect the rights of her fellow workers Cecilia has attended numerous trainings and workshops that has given her a good understanding of the legal system to better help the Santa Ana Communities.  Gang Prevention Conference (Washington D C)  Site Council Conferences (Sacramento)  PTA Conferences (Sacramento, San José, etc.)  CSEA Conferences (Las Vegas, San José, Sacramento, etc.)  Leadership Conferences (Las Vegas, Long Beach, Sacramento, Washington D C., etc.)

 Cecilia serves on the Executive Committee Board of the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) for the Santa Ana Unified School District. In this position she advises on how to operate and improve the program. This position enable her to help students who can't or do not want to pursue higher education.

 She is presently a member, and has served four years as a Secretary 0n the executive board of UMAVA (United Mexican American Veterans Association), to help and honor the veterans who fight for our country.   Cecilia also serves on the board of The Community Redevelopment Housing Commission representing the City of Santa Ana. In this capacity she works to help people who can't afford housing. In 2014 Cecilia is seeking election to the Santa Ana School Board. This commitment for better schools in Santa Ana reflects her lifelong passion to improve the opportunities for the children of her beloved community.