I’m a Warren Grad. Here’s What I Want From Our School Board.

Joseph and Julianne Manacmul

I graduated from Warren High School. Today, I’m a developer and the owner of BLVD MRKT in Montebello, where I work alongside small business owners trying to build something for themselves and their families.

That work gives you a pretty clear picture of what it takes to make a living, and how much of it you have to learn by actually doing it.

When I think about what I want from our schools, I think about what happens after graduation. What opportunities are waiting for these kids? Who’s opening a door for them? And can they build a future in the community that raised them?

Schools have a big role in that. Learning how to communicate, solve problems, work with other people, and follow through matters. Showing up prepared matters. These are things people depend on you for when there’s actual work to get done.

But schools shouldn’t have to do this alone.

Local businesses have a responsibility here, too. Bring a young person into the operation. Let them work alongside someone who knows the trade. Give them real responsibilities, room to make mistakes, and someone who cares enough to teach them how to get better. That’s what a good internship or apprenticeship can offer.

When schools and businesses build those relationships, a career starts to feel like something a student can actually reach. They can meet the people, learn the work, and see a place for themselves in it.

And there’s something powerful about being able to find that opportunity close to home. Local businesses gain people they’ve helped develop. Young people gain a reason to stay and build. That’s how you strengthen a local economy in a way people can actually feel.

I got to know Joe Manacmul through his work starting Stay Gallery. I saw him work with small businesses and entrepreneurs on the everyday things that determine whether a business survives: operations, marketing, hiring, and developing a team. He understands the work behind the storefront because he’s been there, helping people figure it out.

That’s why I trust him to help build stronger connections between our schools and our business community. Those partnerships take effort, follow through, and a school board that sees them as part of its responsibility to students.

As a Warren High School alumni and a business owner, that’s what I want to see. More people opening doors. More opportunities for young people to get their start. More reasons for them to believe they can build something right here.

If you live in this trustee area, I hope you vote for Joe Manacmul.

Barney Santos is a Warren High School graduate, developer and owner of BLVD MRKT in Montebello.