Luz Elena Cervantes
Professor Cervantes is an enthusiastic Spanish instructor born and raised in Guadalajara, México. She is a lifelong learner and proud Gavilan College alumna who began her educational journey in the ESL program before transitioning into regular English courses. Her academic journey has come full circle, as she once worked as a tutor at the Gavilan College Tutoring Center and now serves the community as an instructor.
Professor Cervantes earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with a Single Subject Credential in Spanish from Santa Clara University and later studied abroad in Spain, where she completed a second master’s degree in Language and Spanish Cultures from the University of Salamanca. She also completed a Translation and Interpretation program at Evergreen Valley College.
Professor Cervantes has experience teaching students at multiple levels, including K–12, college, adult education, and GED/HiSET programs. She is passionate about bilingualism, translation, and interpretation (English–Spanish and Spanish–English), and strongly believes that being bilingual is a superpower. She serves as an AP Reader for the College Board for AP Spanish Literature and Culture and currently teaches AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture courses at the high school level.
She enjoys being part of the Gilroy and Morgan Hill communities and values living and working in multicultural environments. She embraces multiculturalism, equity, and social justice. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, reading, walking, and giving back to her community.