Claudia DeLarios Morán

Peer Leader, Washington High School

Program Coordinator, Balboa High School

"Claudia talks the talk and walks the walk. As a Peer Resources alumnus, a former Peer Resources Coordinator--one of the original "pipeliners"--she breathes in oxygen and exhales social justice. She is about that life and it shows in her actions and in her work. As a mother, educator, and administrator, Claudia champions the needs of youth through each of these three modalities. She cares and sometimes her heart breaks and this is precisely why her school, BVHM, is one of two schools in the nation to house homeless families overnight in the school gym. Claudia knows that learning cannot take place until socio-emotional needs are met, and if a student is living in a car or on an uncles's couch in a room with no place to study, there is a good chance that this student is struggling emotionally and academically. Claudia worked tirelessly with the school social worker and representatives from the city and other organizations, to make this a reality. She also worked together with dubious and concerned parents to assuage their fears and to show them that how this arrangement was both necessary and the right thing to do. She is not afraid to put her reputation on the line to stand up for what she believes in."

Claudia DeLarios Morán was born and raised in San Francisco. She is the child of an Argentine immigrant and a first generation Xicana who fell in love at an anti-war meeting in the 70's. By day she attended public schools and she spent every evening in the after school programs of North Beach and Chinatown. As a youngster she fell in love with education by teaching beginning swimmers at the local pool, while learning from those just a few years her senior. By high school she was developing and delivering relevant lessons for her classmates through her Peer Resource Center. She organized alongside passionate friends against Prop 21, 187, and 209. She pushed for change at the Board of Education and understood that her role as a city kid was to be active in her community, to stand up for her beliefs and work to make her city the most welcoming, empowering and radically just environment possible for every one of its children.

Claudia attended City College of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, UC Santa Cruz and the University of San Francisco. She has dedicated her adult life to serving public schools as a case manager, family liaison, peer resource coordinator, restorative practices coach, teacher and administrator. Her greatest joy is getting to serve the very same school that her daughters attend. The fact that Buena Vista Horace Mann is a Spanish Immersion K-8 community school, rooted in the values of social justice and guided by an equity-driven mission, makes Claudia's heart full. She lives in and works for the thriving, vibrant Mission District, and remains committed to advocating for her fellow San Franciscans.

"What inspired me to become an educator were my own transformational experiences as a student in San Francisco. I grew more empowered by every teacher who looked me in the eye and told me the truth, who counseled me when I needed it, and who challenged me when I deserved it. I learned early on that if an adult takes the time to show you that you have something special to offer your community, you will believe it and it will become your mission to do the same.

"I had incredibly warm, demanding role models in my rec centers, classrooms, and after school programs--Ms. Gyn and Ms. Balestreri of Yick Wo, Lee Vogenthaler of Tel Hi neighborhood center, Greg Scott of the north beach pool, Mr. Fleming, my journalism teacher at Marina, and Vicki Abadesco, my Washington High School Peer Resource counselor!

All of them made me feel respected, believed and included. They made me want to do for others what they did for me-- allowed me as a child to feel free to explore, to have opinions and take a stand, and to grrrrrooooowww."

Claudia DeLarios Morán