Unlike others, I did not begin with a passion for teaching. I became an educator as an altruistic act.

A chance meeting with UC Regent Wardell Connerly in an elevator at the UCSF campus was the catalyst. While riding with him I had to restrain my visceral desire to assault the man. I couldn't understand why a person of color would lead the effort to destroy affirmative action.

Luckily, teachings of my grandfather who had a strong belief in self-determination and direct personal action were stronger than my rage and during the ride I changed. I accepted responsibility for helping students prepare for the rigors of college admissions. As an Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) student at Berkeley, mission objective was keeping the educational gates open for women and minorities.

In implementing my intention I made a discovery. Students were being lost in elementary school. The difficulties residing within their families made it impossible for them to do their homework. parents were under siege. Saddled with an inadequate education themselves along with stresses from work, they were incapable of providing a safe, stable, supportive educational environment after school, so their children could finish a day’s lesson.

With this realization, Multicultural Partners came into being, funding by:

• MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) at University of California at Berkeley,
• San Francisco Community School (SFUSD),
• The Thad Brown Boys Academy,
• Mayor's Office of Community Development,
• San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth, and their Families and
• Ingleside Community Center.