LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Albert Velasquez was nominated by his colleague, Margarita Santos.

Mr. Velasquez, also known as Mr. V, has touched thousands of lives in Salinas and Greenfield, where he has served as an excellent educator and an even more outstanding principal. Mr. V always has his students’ interests at heart. Anything he does, whether it's fundraisers or sports coaching, has his servant’s heart and soul in the middle of it. He would go out of his way to help any student out in any academic or personal struggle. The child’s whole being is what he takes care of, not just as a student. He also inspires his staff to collaborate for the same personal purpose he has in his life: to give every single child a chance to shine and to achieve their dreams.

Mr. V develops personal relationships with the students; he knows them by name, builds on their strengths, and helps them to stand up when they fall. At times, students go through unfortunate challenges in life. Children need to be able to lean on someone who they know won’t give up on them when everybody else does. This is Mr. V - he is a rock, and a beacon of light and hope for many. 

"Mr. V is definitely a LifeChanger for the thousands of young lives he has touched. He is a dreamer, a believer, and an excellent human being. There is no other person I know who deserves this award more than he does," said Santos.