Carmen Corpus: 'I have a lot of dedication to these kids'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seaside High School Bilingual Community Liaison Carmen Corpus says she’s inspired by her students and her co-workers every single day. She loves supporting them and finding ways to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

“I have a lot of dedication to these kids, I love these kids,” Corpus said. “I’ve always been around a really large family. I know I don’t have any kids. But it's almost like that motherly-like instinct that you have.”

 

Corpus started at Seaside High School as a special education assistant and later became the attendance clerk. Then she realized she could have an even bigger impact on students by becoming the school’s bilingual community liaison. In that role, she works closely with students and families to ensure they have access to community resources, student services and a person to lean on for support when they need it.

“There’s some kids that, other people might have said you know, “they’re tough kids, you know a lot to handle.” You have to, I think understand and see where they’re coming from. Like just because you know they might mouth off, you do have to kind of take the time and think, why? You know there’s always a reason why. I’ve always said, there’s no bad kid,” Corpus said.

Corpus interacts with many students at Seaside High School, many of them in tough circumstances like homelessness, foster care, family or personal challenges. She says she recently saw a former student, who stopped her on the street to thank her for making an impact on their life.

“You get that once in a while where you get those kids that, “you know you never gave up on me.” And I think hearing that, it stops that cycle where they feel like somebody’s always giving up,” Corpus said.

Corpus was born in Oxnard, CA and was raised on the Central Coast. She attended schools in North Monterey County Unified School District. Corpus draws upon her own childhood experiences to realize how fortunate she was and she knows many students do not have the same experience.

“I think I had such an amazing childhood. My parents did everything and anything for us. And I’ve seen there’s a lot of kids who don’t have somebody to go to, somebody to speak to and I think I always wanted to be that for the kids who didn’t have the best,” Corpus said. “I think for me, I felt that if I could make at least one change and help one kid that was more than anything.”

Outside of work, she spends a lot of time with family and friends. She loves working at Seaside High School because of the strong bond she has with her colleagues.

“When they do say like “we’re a Spartan Family,” we really do truly treat each other like a family,” Corpus said. “I love the staff I work with, you know they’re amazing.”

Corpus says she can’t imagine working in any other environment and can’t wait to see students come back for the 2022-2023 school year on August 3.

“I can honestly tell you full-heartedly, that I love what I do. I love my kids. I don’t think I would feel this way anywhere else. I think that’s the reason why,” Corpus said.