A drive-by shooting at an elementary school can change the course of students’ lives. For San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres, it sparked a dedication to community organizing.
At 14, Torres witnessed the fatal shooting of a student’s father in front of Washington Elementary School while volunteering for an after school program. The tragedy kickstarted his advocacy to improve disenfranchised neighborhoods like his own. That desire propelled Torres through his college career at San Jose State University where he protested tuition hikes and as a Franklin-McKinley School District board member. He also served as a board member for the San Jose Evergreen Community College District.
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