Neighbor of the Week: Cosme Cordova
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Marcelle Williams, candidate for Riverside Unified School District Board Trustee, answers questions about why she is running for election.
I legally immigrated with my parents and four siblings to America. We lived in Brea, where I attended K-12. I attended Fullerton Jr. College and Cal Poly. With my husband Greg of 44 years, we raised our five children. All of our children attended Riverside schools and have gone on to earn their college degrees. Before starting my own business in commercial real estate in 2002, I was the administrator for the school superintendent. There, I gained an understanding of daily campus life and operations. Providing assistance to parents, students, teachers, and staff.
Affordable housing brought us to Riverside in 1984, where we purchased our first home. At the time, we only had one child, but we soon added four more children. Since then, we have invested a lot in this community. Raising our children and now having grandchildren born here. We have numerous treasured friends and have gotten involved with organizations throughout the city. Four of our children live in California, spanning from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Making Riverside an ideal location for seeing them on a regular basis. I started my real estate business here and have had the pleasure of assisting local business owners and bringing new businesses into the area. My most treasured venture is assisting Stevie and Ashey Hasemeyer with their first commercial location. Soon, adding a total of four locations to their Arcade Coffee Roasters, which are all located in Riverside.
As an elected official, my role would be a fiduciary relationship with parents, students, teachers, staff, and all stakeholders. I will work and collaborate with my board colleagues and the superintendent on our responsibility for the education of our community's children. To work together as a governance team with the superintendent to make decisions that best serve the students. We serve to reflect the consensus of the community, the board, and the district staff on what students need in order to achieve their highest potential. This should set a direction for the school district, driving every aspect of the district's program.
The STEM Academy program is doing well. The Riverside STEM Academy was ranked #83 Best High School in the nation and #10 in the State of California by the U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 Best High Schools edition.
My life skills as a parent, having successfully navigated with my husband and our five children through their education experience. Each of them successfully completing their college degrees. Having gained the understanding of how a school campus operates while working as the assistant to the school's superintendent. Through assisting the parents, students, staff, and administration. As a business owner, educating my clients on the commercial markets, providing them assistance to complete a successful and profitable conclusion. Bringing my experience as a business owner and a professional consultant. Having successfully collaborated and negotiated with business owners, developers, city and state agencies, colleges and universities, and trade schools.
Lastly, my own personal education of hands-on learning through vocational classes such as home economics. Where I learned cooking, sewing, measurements, effects of temperature, the chemistry of ingredients, and working with my hands. For the boys, wood, metal, and automotive shop. They too, learning math, physics, system operations, spacial and critical thinking. To bring a working common sense approach for daily living that each student can achieve.
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