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...
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 [email protected].
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...
Jarrod Jenkins shatters stereotypes to live the Silicon Valley dream
Jarrod Jenkins left behind a stable job, family and the city he grew up in to move halfway across the country and pursue his dreams. In early 2015, he packed his bags and drove to California, leaving behind a career as an attorney at a boutique law firm in Georgia in hopes of working for...
San Jose pancreatic cancer survivor fights for more research
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Diane Borrison is the kind of person who eats right, never smokes and walks regularly. She managed to stay healthy even when others in her household caught a cold or the flu. But one day her skin and eyes started turning yellow and her skin started to itch. “It didn’t really occur...
Retired police officer Darrell Cortez boosts literacy in San Jose schools
Darrell Cortez retired more than a decade ago from the San Jose Police Department, so he isn’t fighting crime in the streets anymore. But he is working on preventing crime before it starts — by investing in children’s education. Since 2007, Cortez and his wife, Alicia, have operated the Shop with a Cop Foundation, which...
Jim Salata is helping build San Jose’s future while saving its past
While Silicon Valley is obsessed with everything shiny and new, Jim Salata has an unapologetic love affair with the old and nostalgic. “I’m a sick person,” said Salata, owner of Garden City Construction in downtown San Jose. “I always look at (these objects) and I have an idea… So I don’t throw it away.” His studio at...
Jolene Smith’s passion for children shines at First 5 Santa Clara County
When she was young, Jolene Smith dreamt of being a teacher. Growing up in East San Jose in the 1950s she would often play school with the neighborhood kids and take the position at the front of any makeshift classroom. Today, Smith plays a critical role in helping children succeed as the chief executive officer...
Charles Davidson’s contributions to Silicon Valley are unparalleled
Charles Davidson arrived in San Jose a broke 21-year-old in 1952 seeking a way out of poverty and he’s spent the last 67 years forging his own lucrative path in the world. But he’s also quietly become one of Silicon Valley’s most unsung philanthropists. Davidson sat down with San José Spotlight for a rare interview to...
Jay MacIntosh aims to build ‘The Village’ that will help foster youth
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...