Eric Guerra is a current Sacramento City Councilmember, community volunteer, policy advocate, husband and father. Eric’s life has been defined by hard work and determination. As a farmworker, an immigrant, and a graduate of Sacramento State, Eric worked hard to get where he is today, but he had a lot of help along the way. He knows that people sometimes simply need a hand up from those who believe in them.
California’s public education system must meet the needs of all students. Schools should be safe spaces for kids and families and provide opportunities for all children in all communities — especially disenfranchised communities. Eric believes in investing in all levels of education. His mother immigrated with only a 4th-grade education, and his family all worked as farmworkers to survive. At the age of 50, his mother was able to get her GED and an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. Eric himself was homeless at various times while he was putting himself through Sac State. In less than a generation, Eric lived through the transition of his own family from deep poverty to a middle-class life in less than a generation.