Candidate for
Member, Governing Board; Morongo Unified School District

Gary L. Horn, husband to wife Sayano, is an active father of four young boys Morongo Unified School District students. Originally from Nacogdoches, Texas, Gary and his family have lived in Twentynine Palms since 2004. Because of the wonderful people, the Horns made their home in the High Desert area after Gary's Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps in 2007.

Gary has been a community volunteer supporting many organizations and events. Prior to leaving the Marine Corps, Gary helped establish the Drug Education for Youth (DEFY) program at Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital on the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC). DEFY is a program for children ages 9-12 with the intent of developing leaders, helping youth deal with peer pressure, and curbing drug use among the local youth. Serving as the Assistant Director for two years, Gary organized leadership events, staff mentor training, leadership camps, and directed oversight of the training program. He served for more than five years with the DEFY program prior to departing for work assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gary has been a volunteer youth sports coach for several organizations, most recently serving as the commissioner of the High Desert Storm youth football organization for two years, where he coordinated board member staffing, parent participation, and the organization of player clinics. Currently, Gary serves as the Acting Chairman of the Oasis Elementary School Site Council and serves on the Solar Committee for the District. He has been instrumental in multiple school night events and in developing an alternative to the annual 6th Grade Science Camp. Through his dedication to the School Site Council and other groups, Gary has demonstrated his commitment to improving public education in the area.

Teachers, parents, and the local community are pillars of the village needed to assist students in giving them the tools needed to achieve personal success. Without a coordinated effort from these three instrumental influences, the likelihood of creating productive members of society can seem impossible. Given that parents are the natural and primary guardians and influences of their children, they - in conjunction with the administration and the community at large - must be equipped with the proper tools to best help their children and assist the teachers in this process. Additionally, there must be a solid support structure from the administration, the allocation of appropriate funding, and governing rules that allow teachers and administrators to do their part. The community must provide the support that holds everything together. When these elements come together, we see the expression "it takes a village to raise a child" truly come to life because each element genuinely seeks the betterment of our children.