About Mark Takano - Research Paper Example

Takano was born on 10 December 1960. His roots in Riverside date back to his grandparents and parents who were taken away from their homes to Japanese-American camps during the World War two. These families settled in riverside after the war in order to rebuild their lives. He attended La Sierra high school located in Alvord Unified School District. There he took part in wrestling in the varsity junior level and also playing football. He graduated as the school’s valedictorian in the year 1979.

He later attended Harvard College in the year 1983 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government. His senior year saw him organize ride for life which was a bicycle ride across continents which was to benefit development of Oxfam America. When he graduated, he worked as a substitute teacher in various public schools in Boston. He made observation the difference that existed between well-funded and also acclaimed sub-urban schools in Brookline and the inter-city Boston schools. He later returned home and attained a secondary teaching social studies and language arts at the University of California.

In the year 1988, he began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District where he predominantly served African-American students and Latino. He has served as an advisor to the Gay Straight Student Alliance in Rialto high school since the year 2009. He served the board of trustees of the Riverside community college since the year 1990. At the board of trustees, he has worked with the republicans and democrats in order to improve higher education for the young people. He has also worked in opening opportunities for job training for those who wished to start a new career or acquire new skills.

In the year 1991, he was elected as the board president where he helped the board gain stability amid fiscal challenges that it faced. He oversaw the transitioning of Moreno valley and