The Campbell Reporter

Education

CUSD names Llolanda Ulloa 2007 Volunteer of the Year

By Emilie Crofton

Llolanda Ulloa is a woman determined to help others.

Her hard work and dedication to help parents access information on their children's education is what led her to be named Campbell Union School District Volunteer of the Year for 2007.

Ulloa has also been awarded the Association of California School Administrators Volunteer of the Year award.

For the past five years, Ulloa has been volunteering with Monroe Middle School, serving as a Spanish interpreter for meetings, and has been active in PTA and in the district's English-language acquisition committee. She currently chairs the Monroe School site council.

"I appreciate working with her because she knows how to keep track of the details," Monroe principal Geertje Bamford says. "She truly has the best interest of the community at heart. She's a great pleasure to work with."

While at Monroe, Ulloa noticed how little parents in the Spanish-speaking community participated in their child's education.

"I realized how so many parents were just not informed," she says. "The information was out there; they just didn't know how to access it."

One of Ulloa's greatest moments as a volunteer occurred during a meeting when a thankful parent starting crying and Ulloa realized how much she has helped families.

"She told me she was just so thankful for the information she had learned. Without this information, she didn't think her child would have gone on to college," Ulloa says.

Ulloa wasn't sure she could chair Monroe's school site council.

"At first I wasn't sure if I was strong enough for the job," says Ulloa, who works for the Santa Clara County health and hospitals systems.

However, after attending a training program and receiving help from the principal, Ulloa changed her mind.

During her tenure, the site council made several changes. She was part of the decision-making process that approved Monroe's change to charter school status and authorized the students to wear uniforms.

"She's dedicated to getting to the core understanding of issues and making sure there is a follow-up as well," site council committee member Donna Lydon says. "With her it has always been about what's best for the children and the school."

Another instrumental decision was the addition of her 14-year-old daughter Stephanie as a member of the school site council. Her daughter offered a young person's viewpoint on particular issues.

Ulloa became an involved parent when her son Erik, now 16, started at Castlemont Elementary School. She found school administrators and parents very welcoming.

"My vision is to see my kids graduate," says Ulloa, who graduated from Lincoln High School. "It's so important for children to realize the importance of education."

Ulloa was born in Mexico and immigrated to San Jose at the age of 7. She married her husband, Jorge, while still in high school.

She says, "He has been a true blessing in my life."

Jorge Ulloa works nights at Good Samaritan Hospital, which allows him to help with the cooking and housework during the day so Llolanda Ulloa has time to volunteer in the evenings at the school. Jorge Ulloa's work schedule also allows him to volunteer at Monroe supervising the children.

Through example, the Ulloas have instilled the importance of volunteering in their children, who are active at their church.

Llolanda Ulloa urges parents, "Get physically involved, and participate in your child's education."