When COVID-19 — and the panic of the pandemic — hit the South Bay, Milan Balinton was at the local Walmart buying grocery carts full of food and supplies nearly every day, but none of it was for him. The supplies were for the people he serves as the executive director at the African American...
In the Spotlight
Welcome to In the Spotlight.
This monthly feature spotlights the people who make San José an incredible place to call home. From unsung heroes to former city leaders and politicians who’ve disappeared from the public eye, we catch up with San Joseans who are doing amazing things — and we share the awe inspiring stories behind their struggles and successes.
We are telling the unique, ever-changing, diverse story of San José. One person at a time.
Who should we feature next? To nominate someone for our next In the Spotlight profile, email ramona@sanjosespotlight.com.
Celso Batalha gets low-income San Jose students excited about science
When he’s not instructing students at Evergreen Valley College, physics and astronomy professor Celso Batalha is working with a much younger set — teaching children as young as elementary school-aged that no matter what their background, they, too, can reach for the stars. Batalha came to the Evergreen campus in 2003 just as the San...
Lila Gemellos brings San Jose’s history to life through walls of color
As Lila Gemellos painted the final stroke of her latest mural at San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose, the pressure of tackling such a historic local destination finally lifted. “I got to paint something that I have been so fond of for so long, it’s super cyclical,” the 34-year-old said of the mural tucked...
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