Listening to Jay MacIntosh talk about Silicon Valley’s foster care system is like strapping in for a ride that is known for twists and bumps, but finding oneself plunging lower — and then rising higher — than anyone could have warned. The onetime tech worker and longtime foster child advocate wants people to know about...
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.
Wiggsy Sivertsen, an icon in the struggle for LGBTQ rights, is still a force to be reckoned with
When Wiggsy Sivertsen started working at San Jose State University, the Vietnam War was raging and the Bay Area was a hotbed of political activism — especially on college campuses. Back then she also worked as the head teacher of a school for autistic children. Until they fired her for being a lesbian in 1968....
Gay Crawford champions the fight against cancer in Silicon Valley
Gay Crawford is Silicon Valley’s most renowned cancer advocate. As a cancer survivor herself, Crawford knows how isolating one can feel when diagnosed with cancer. Before she began her cancer advocacy, Crawford was a journalist. She learned the basics of the trade working for newspapers around the East Bay, but Crawford felt she hadn’t found...
