This article was contributed by community member Wayne Norton.

Teacher and school administrator Anissa Dizon knows local schools well. That’s why she is running for a seat on the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Dizon was raised in San Juan Bautista. She attended San Juan School and graduated from San Benito High School in 1989 before the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District was established. Currently an instructional coach in the Hollister School District, Dizon has taught all grade levels from elementary to high school and served as assistant principal at San Juan School.

Dizon said she sees diversity as a major asset for the district.

“I value the rich cultural heritage of the Aromas-San Juan area,” Dizon said. “I want our schools to embrace our diversity and to understand that all of our students can achieve great things. I will work to ensure that district resources are focused on the classroom and that all voices in our community are heard and honored.”

Being an educator is a family tradition for Dizon. Her father, Phillip Galvan, was an adult school administrator. Her mother, Margaret, was a preschool teacher.

Dizon lives in San Juan Bautista with her husband Jun, a UPS driver. They have three children. A son and daughter attend post-secondary institutions. One daughter is enrolled in Anzar High School.