Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandre (Alex) Monteiro.
Hi Alexandre (Alex), it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Alexandre Monteiro, BA, and a master’s degree in education and counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, is a Native of the Cape Verde Islands who arrived in the United States 41 years ago. For the past forty years, Mr. Monteiro has consistently worked with schools, social service agencies, and community groups in assuring that underprivileged children receive adequate physical and mental health services and support structures that positively affect their academic achievement. His interest is to have a direct positive effect on children’s lives and assist many families and young adults in accessing services that fulfill their physical, emotional, and basic needs. Mr. Monteiro has successfully connected with students and their parents through ethnic and cultural differences thanks to his trilingual capabilities.
Alex has worked as a project coordinator for the International Healthy City in Boston, Health Education Coordinator at Arroyo Vista Family Health Center in Los Angeles, Executive Director for the Roosevelt School-Based Clinic in East LA, and has also held positions at LAUSD, Hawthorne School District, and Richstone Family Center. At present, Mr. Monteiro is the president and Executive Director of the Moneta Gardens Improvement, Inc. (MGI), a non-profit organization serving the underprivileged families and children of Hawthorne. He is also the Chief Administrator for the South Bay Universal Child Development Center- “The Castle,” which is also a non-profit organization dedicated to providing early childhood education to the children of Hawthorne.
It is with extreme gratitude and honor that I have been serving the City of Hawthorne as a public servant for almost two decades. School Board Member for 12 years and as a City Council member since December 11, 2018. I am thankful and proud of the many accomplishments I have achieved in these 7 years in office. As a Champion of Integrity, I continue to promote government transparency and ensure that your voices are heard. My priority has remained the well-being of all citizens through the strengthening of public safety, advocating for business and economic development, and promoting smart housing/homeownership.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I was young, in the Cape Verde Islands, there was drought, famine, and disease. When I was all of 6, I remember carrying the coffins of toddlers who died of starvation and of diseases that probably could have been prevented. These experiences no doubt shaped my interest in helping others and ensuring they have what they need to survive. It really hits home because I was born with a stomach virus, so my mom took me to a clinic very often, where I would get a shot.
As I was growing up, Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony until a coup d’état arose. My family and his family moved to Lisbon, where I experienced racism for the first time. The good news is that I began to learn English through a teacher who, of all things, showed the students Humphrey Bogart movies. Until this day, I laugh: “He told us if we could understand Humphrey Bogart, we could understand anybody.
I came to the USA in 1984, determined to advance my educational aspirations. Thanks to a friend at the University of Rhode Island, I was enrolled there six months later, after my brother threw me out of his house.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For these past 32 years, I have worked for the Boston Health Department, Federal Qualified Health Center in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Hawthorne School District. In 2001, I began as President and CEO of Moneta Gardens Improvement, Inc., a non-profit organization in Hawthorne, where I successfully built school-based clinics, low-income housing, and Preschools.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I give all the credit to my mom. She could neither read nor write, but made sure all of her eight children got an education. She traveled to three continents in search of a better life for me and my siblings.
Pricing:
- mentorship
- educational
- Inspirational
- Dream big
- Share my successes
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Monteiro4StateSenator2024.com
- Instagram: monteiro_2024, Alexandre Monteiro @monteiro_2024
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com>public>AlexMonteiro
- Twitter: @Monteiro_xante
Image Credits
Mr. Demann Crawford
