Mr. Manluco’s interest in teaching took root with his passion for practicing and studying martial arts from a young age and throughout high school. Inspirational coaches and instructors invested time into fostering strong programs that kept youth growing up in his hometown of Vallejo focused on developing personal integrity and self-discipline while working towards tangible goals as student-athletes. He has brought with him this sense of determination to cultivate students’ drive toward their own achievements as a former Upward Bound high school outreach advisor at UC Davis, former Teach for America corps member, and now as a science and US government teacher and wrestling coach serving students in east San Jose.
Mr. Manluco has invested much of his personal time to improving his craft as a science teacher by pursuing professional development with the Integrated Middle School Science partnership sponsored by CSU East Bay, Ignited (formerly Industry Initiatives in Science and Math Education) fellowships sponsored by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and now as a lead science teacher for Piedmont Middle School at Berryessa USD. As a night class adult education instructor, he brings the unique perspectives of being a former legislative intern and UC Berkeley NROTC midshipman to teach US government in the context of global politics. During the wrestling season, he has staffed coaching positions for middle and high schools in East San Jose, while producing championship caliber wrestlers at both levels. Outside of the school year, he and his wife Mandy, also an educator, immerse themselves in new international adventures so they can share a more authentically global experience with their students.
Mr. Manluco would pledge his $20,000 award to support Piedmont’s technology, science, and athletics programs, which are of great need in a Title I school that has a high population of English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. A major priority, would be to support the school’s goal of having a 1-to-1 computer ratio. Secondly, the funds would be invested into additional science and technology elements, such as 3D printers, for the school’s in-progress Flexible Instructional Space (FIS), a digital learning lab designed to provide dynamic 21st century learning experiences for cross-curricular subjects. Finally, funds would be used to acquire more modern athletic equipment for the PE fitness room used by Piedmont wrestlers along with the other school sports teams.
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