March 28, 2014 | SharkAdmin Javier Morales Grant Writer/Adjunct Faculty “I originally came in to apply for a position and went to the Cypress Campus Center to ask how to apply. An employee told me that only internal staff were being hired and there was probably no chance I would get hired, however I should go online and apply, so I did it. I was called for an interview in July and a week later, the director of the program informed me I had been selected and to expect a call from Human Resources. July passed, August past and I had already forgotten about the position when I received a call in September. At first I had no clue why Alamo Colleges was asking me to complete paperwork, then I remembered I had been selected for a position three months before, and here I am almost three years later.” What is your background? I was born in San Antonio and attended Fox Tech High School. My childhood was split between living in San Antonio Texas and Palau, Coahuila Mexico. In 1995, I moved to Oneonta in Alabama and I recently moved back to Castroville, Texas after living in Oneonta, Alabama for over 16 years. What is your educational background? I received my associate’s degree at Wallace State Community College at Cullman, Ala. and my bachelor’s degree at Athens State University at Athens, Ala. and my master’s degree at Texas A&M in San Antonio in Bilingual Education. I will begin my doctorates in an Education program this summer. Where did you work prior to NVC? Most of my prior work was related to education and advocating for farm worker rights. I worked for Community Action of North Alabama as a migrant Head Start director and later with East Coast Migrant Head Start Project as the state of Alabama administrator. Part of my advocate work when working with East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, was conducting a radio program from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday – Friday which was very rewarding. The program had music focused on education and health topics. I founded and wrote grants for the Alabama Non-Profit Housing Inc. agency which received $1.2 million to build farmworker housing (http://www.ahoarch.com/casa-bonita/) and has been awarded a second time to build farmworker housing. I also founded “Project Aprende,” which serves as a transition tool for Hispanic students wishing to enter college. I received over $200,000 for this project in a period of four years. I currently contribute articles in Spanish to about special education topics to newspapers in San Antonio, Phoenix, Arizona, Alabama and Tennessee. What is the best part about working at NVC? Personally, the best part of working at NVC is that I have been fortunate to be surrounded by team members with a passion about what they do. I began working with the Dual Credit team and I learned about the enrollment process and Banner software used by NVC. This knowledge became a valuable tool when I was hired as the grant writer for NVC. Although every one of my co-workers have different personalities and ways of doing things, I always try to identify the strengths and qualities of my co-workers, and respecting those traits has resulted in friendships and mutual respect among my co-workers. I also enjoy all the trees and the environment that has been created at NVC. I make it a point to walk to the cafeteria and observe our students of all different ages, this gives me satisfaction of why I do my job. What is the most rewarding part about your job? The most rewarding part of my job is when I am able to make a difference either directly or indirectly in the life of a student via a scholarship or guidance. When I see students, I see someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, grandmother or grandfather, each one of these students means the world to someone, and contributing to their success as faculty or grant writer in any of these students life is the most rewarding part of my job. What are your hobbies, interests, favorite activities? My hobby is restoring classic cars and trucks. I have restored Mustangs, antique trucks, and a couple of older-model Jaguars. It takes time; a vehicle may take me a year to complete, working weekends only. This hobby relaxes me and I am able to see the progress every weekend. Currently I am looking for a vehicle to restore and begin another yearlong project. What NVC “touchstone” best describes you? The value that best describes me is community. Personally, community has many benefits. It fosters partnerships with the college, family and community groups, and individuals. These partnerships result in sharing and maximizing resources to benefit the students. These community partnerships help students develop and promote healthy communication. Do you have a personal motto that you live by or tell your students? “If you plan for a year, plant wheatIf you plan for a decade, plant trees,If you plan a lifetime, educate people.”
