- Author: Ricardo Vela
On a sunny morning in San Bernardino, Clara Wilshire, with palpable energy and a warm smile, greets the participants of her nutrition class, part of the EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) at the University of California Cooperative Extension office.
“Good morning. My name is Clara Wilshire, and I'm from the EFNEP program of the University of California Cooperative Extension,” she says enthusiastically, kicking off the day with a light exercise session that sets the tone for learning about nutrition and healthy habits.
With over 30 years of experience with Cooperative Extension and 24 years dedicated to the adult EFNEP program, Wilshire has devoted her life to teaching the Latino community in San Bernardino about the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise. However, in the early days of her career, connecting with her students was not always easy.
“I knew I had to teach them this nutrition curriculum, but I struggled to connect with the parents,” Clara recalls. “But as my family grew and I became a more experienced mother, it became much easier to give recommendations and share my personal stories with my participants.”
This connection, rooted in personal experiences and a deep understanding of the realities faced by the community she served, has become one of Wilshire's greatest strengths as an educator. Over time, she has witnessed the significant impact her classes have had on the lives of residents in San Bernardino County.
“I've seen an impact,” Wilshire says with a blend of pride and humility. “I've heard stories of people making their food money stretch further or their EBT card lasting longer without having to rely so much on food banks to get through the month. I've also heard people say they started drinking fewer sodas or sugary drinks, and some have even noticed they began losing a bit of weight by making those small changes in their lives.”
But Wilshire's connection to the EFNEP program goes beyond her professional career. She herself had the opportunity to participate in the program as a child, although she didn't make that connection until years later. “My aunt had a nutrition educator who visited her home, and my mother was able to participate in that program. I didn't make the connection until I was on the job. I pulled out an old recipe and recognized the letterhead; it was one of the recipes my mom used to get from the educator.”
With her unwavering commitment to serving the Latino community, Wilshire decided to expand her impact by enrolling in the Master Food Preserver program when she realized there were not enough Spanish-speaking instructors. “Throughout all the years I've been working, I realized that all the classes offered by the Master Food Preserver program had been in English. As I became more interested in food preservation, I thought I had the experience of being an educator. I felt very comfortable speaking in front of people and thought I could do this. I could teach these classes too.”
Wilshire's interest in food preservation is not new; it is deeply rooted in her Latino heritage, in the traditions her mother passed down, like preserving nopalitos, a traditional Mexican dish. This pride in her culture is reflected in her approach to teaching and her participation in Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
“Having this time to reflect on our culture, family, history, and food is a moment to be proud of who we are,” Wilshire says. Her words encapsulate the passion and commitment she has demonstrated throughout her career, always striving to empower the Latino community to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Clara Wilshire is more than an educator; she is a tireless advocate for her community. She has dedicated her life to improving the health and well-being of others while honoring and celebrating her Latino heritage. Through her work, she continues to be an inspiration and a shining example of how education and culture can intertwine to create a lasting impact on people's lives.
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
In the small town of Buga, located in Valle del Cauca in southwestern Colombia, Jairo Diaz-Ramirez prioritized salsa dancing over his studies. His parents, noticing that he was having too much fun on weekends, reminded Diaz that schoolwork comes first. “I used to dance a lot and spend time with friends when I was a teenager, and I didn't pay full attention to schoolwork,” he said.
Diaz, director of the UC Desert Research and Extension Center – one of nine centers under University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources – located in Holtville, was born and raised in Colombia, where the life of a farmworker was all too familiar.
Before Diaz's father joined the army, he worked in the fields. Describing his father as an “autodidactic person,” Diaz said that his father acquired many skills throughout his life and could “fix pretty much everything.” Others knew this about Diaz's father, often referring to him as “el cientifico” or the scientist.
“My hometown is surrounded by agriculture, and I saw farmworkers all the time. What they do is difficult work, it's hard,” he said. Even though Diaz has a career in agriculture today, he did his best to avoid it when he was in school.
In high school, Diaz focused on math and science, believing it would lead him down a different career path. When he graduated in 1990, Diaz didn't have many options for a college education in his area. “There was barely internet in my hometown,” he recalled, adding that it was a challenge to find professional mentors, too.
“I didn't know what I wanted to study,” said Diaz. “But when I passed the entry test for college, I just decided on electrical engineering.” As a freshman in college, Diaz found himself in a different environment with rules and expectations he was not used to. “I lost focus,” he said.
In fact, his poor academic performance led Diaz to drop out of college. He described this decision as, “the inflection point that changed the course of his life.” Realizing that he took a great opportunity for granted, Diaz wanted to return to school. After passing the college entry exam a second time, his test results matched him to the following career options: agricultural, sanitary or chemical engineering.
Because it required fewer chemistry courses, Diaz decided to pursue agricultural engineering. The more he learned, the more interested he became in irrigation, watershed management, soil and water conservation. In 1997, he obtained a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from National University of Colombia and University of Valle.
Realizing there's more to agriculture
There was a shift in perspective that occurred for Diaz, one that made him see other pathways into agriculture other than farm labor.
“I always saw the workers in the field from four in the morning to six at night, even on Saturdays,” Diaz said. “But I never saw what was behind agriculture. Labor is one thing, but there's also the science, education, management, engineering… I didn't see that when I was younger.”
In 2001, after two years of working as a part-time instructor at community colleges in his hometown, Diaz moved to Puerto Rico, where he earned a master's degree in water resources engineering from University of Puerto Rico. Although he would have liked to attend graduate school in his home country, career opportunities were limited.
“I considered schools in Spain and Chile, somewhere the people speak Spanish,” said Diaz, sharing that the ability to learn in Spanish was his preference.
Meeting students halfway
Eventually, Diaz moved to Mississippi, earning a doctorate in water resources engineering at Mississippi State University before he began teaching at Alcorn State University – the oldest public historically Black land-grant institution in the nation – where his role as a mentor easily became his favorite part of that journey.
As an assistant professor, Diaz said that many students he worked with at Alcorn State struggled with higher level courses of agriculture. “Some of my students started with me when they were freshmen and I got to see them progress over the years,” said Diaz.
Now, many of them work for the federal government and non-governmental organizations, and some have even moved to other states, away from everything and everyone they know.
“It reminds me of my own people,” Diaz said. “How challenging education can be, and how limited you feel, and being afraid to move away from home…that's what many of us BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of color] experience.”
Once a mentor, always a mentor
In Imperial County, where Diaz currently lives, more than 80% of the population is Hispanic. According to Diaz, many of the students in Imperial can relate to those he taught in Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mississippi, struggling to navigate education. “A lot of the students also think like me when I was their age. They don't find agriculture appealing because it's too hard.”
That's where Diaz steps in and shows them a different side of agriculture, one that he wishes someone would have shown him when he was younger. When he visits local schools, or hosts student groups at Desert REC, he teaches students that agriculture offers a broad spectrum of opportunities.
“Agriculture is not just about people in the fields, it's people in the labs, at the computers and in the classroom. It's people managing others, figuring out economics and building systems,” he said.
Given his background in hydrology, irrigation systems and water resources, Diaz relies on water as the element to engage students in conversations about agricultural careers. “To produce food, we need water. Plants need water to live and so do we. Water is key,” he tells students.
“I know how much of a difference it makes to have someone guide you professionally. So, I want to be that person for my community, especially the younger generation.”
As a director, Diaz has an open-door policy to encourage frequent interactions with his colleagues. “It's important to me that the people I work with know that I want to support them,” said Diaz, who prefers colleagues call him by his first name.
“Sometimes you hear that someone is a ‘doctor,' and it creates a divide right away,” he said.
While reflecting on his role and impact, Diaz said that he wants to be known as a genuinely good person. “I want to be a good collaborator, create meaningful programs, and grow a healthy industry.”
These days, Diaz doesn't spend much time on the dance floor, but he won't shy away from an opportunity to relive his adolescence. “I have created my own career path with the support of my family, mentors and friends,” he said. “I still have fun, but I also focus when I need to.”
To watch a past feature on Diaz in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksNc7qDCOVo.
To read this article in Spanish, visit: https://espanol.ucanr.edu/Abriendo_Caminos/?blogpost=58085&blogasset=139086.
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