Sweethearts Serving the Community
Davon-Anthony Davaloz and his wife, Karina Davaloz, met in high school and attended Santa Ana College (SAC), teeing up their pathways to careers in serving the community. Now husband and wife,
the Davalozes work in education and social work, crediting SAC for sparking their early career interests.
Davon-Anthony attended SAC from 2010-2012 and Karina from 2011-2013. While at SAC, each focused on finishing general education requirements in preparation for an eventual university transfer.
After SAC, Davon-Anthony entered the United States Army, serving four years in infantry on a Pacific tour. After leaving the military, he transferred to Azusa Pacific University, where he graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor's in English Literature and then earned a Master's in Education and Teaching Credential from Claremont Graduate University in 2019.
Today, Davon-Anthony is a 10th-grade English teacher at Wilmer Amina Carter High School in Rialto, Calif., where he also runs the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which prepares students for success post-graduation through rigorous classes and field trips to colleges and universities. He teaches a class called Multicultural Literature, focusing on authors of color.
Working with his students, Davon-Anthony is an advocate for community colleges, like SAC. He encourages students who want to attend a University of California (UC) campus, like UC Irvine, to research Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs.
“For a lot of students, their best bet is to go to community college to get into those universities," he added, emphasizing the cost savings of attending a community college for two years first before transferring to a university.
Thinking back over his time at SAC, Davon-Anthony credits his time spent in Nealley Library for establishing the kind of study skills that prepared him for success. “It had computers, long tables, and private rooms," he said. “It gave me the flexibility to have different types of study groups. The library was pretty much where I lived."
Both Davon-Anthony and Karina
said one of their favorite classes at SAC was English taught by Prof. Donato Martinez. “He was very culturally relevant and really relatable," Davon-Anthony said. “I try to take that into my classroom now to create an inclusive environment for everyone."
Karina also remembers her time at SAC fondly, crediting the resources she found there for preparing her for undergraduate and graduate studies.
She is especially grateful for SAC counselors who helped her navigate course options that would transfer easily to a four-year university.
After SAC, Karina attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, earning her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 2016. She returned to the mainland to attend the University of Southern California for graduate school, earning her Master's in Social Work in 2018. Today, she is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and works for a mental health agency that serves children in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Karina says taking psychology courses at SAC sowed the seeds of her early interest in being a social worker. “I've always had a passion of wanting to help others," she said.
The Davalozes got married in 2013 and now have two children, a four-year-old and a three-month-old.
When asked what advice they would give current SAC students, both Davon-Anthony and Karina encouraged taking advantage of all the help and resources available at the college, from free bus passes to financial aid to counseling.
“Be smart about those resources and also about building community and building your network," Karina said. “Get to know your professors so that you can ask them for letters of recommendation."
Davon-Anthony encouraged current SAC students to plan for their future. “Make a plan A, B, C and an emergency plan," he said. “Think about your primary goal, then a backup, then a backup to your backup and a contingency plan."
He said studying at community college and working through general education classes is a great way to narrow down your interests and find out what you want to do later in life. “The counselors at SAC will help you navigate your options," he added.
For the Davalozes, SAC is more than just their joint alma mater, it is a family affair. Davon-Anthony's mother, Dalilah, worked at SAC prior to him attending, and then returned to the campus after he graduated, now serving as the public information officer.
Davon-Anthony is a son of a teenage, minority mother who also attended and transferred from SAC and would later be victorious in beating the odds to complete her undergraduate and graduate studies. That accomplishment was fostered by the daycare and preschool offered at SAC, where Davon-Anthony attended as a young child while mom was in class and working full time. Karina is a 1st generation college graduate, and was nurtured and raised by a strong, single mother who encouraged her to reach her educational goals.
“Yeah, we think SAC is pretty awesome in our family, especially seeing the campus now and all the new buildings," he said. “We're kind of a little jealous seeing how awesome it is now."
