Earvin Buckner

Academic counselor Earvin Buckner has always been surrounded by his Latino side. Living in Guatemala from first to sixth grade, Buckner was raised primarily by his Latina mother and grandparents.

In the 1950s, Buckner’s grandparents made the tough decision to immigrate to the United States due to a declining political climate in Guatemala. The family — including Buckner’s mom, who was just eight years old — moved to Santa Clara, California, where a family friend lived.

“The family friend who was already a citizen helped them get through that process of citizenship, so it was pretty smooth,” Buckner said. 

Born in the United States, Buckner grew up immersed in Hispanic and Latino culture and would make annual trips back to Guatemala as a young child. 

However, starting in first grade, Buckner and his sister moved to Guatemala with their grandparents to attend a rigorous private school. Buckner returned back to the South Bay to complete his high school education and pave a clear path to college in America. 

Inspired by his own high school mentor Buckner quickly realized that he wanted to go into high school counseling, and he believes that his Latino background has benefitted him in his career.

“Parents who feel comfortable reaching out to me in Spanish with a specific issue, whether it’s feeling like they’re not being heard, or like they might be treated differently, whether it’s socially economically, or their ethnic background, I feel lucky that I’ve been able to sort of give them a voice and empower them,” Buckner said. 

It’s not just parents who feel this empowerment from Buckner; students also look up to him on campus. 

“As a counselor, it’s nice that I’m able to also, hopefully, serve as a role model,” Buckner said. “To say, ‘Hey, you know, I was in your shoes’ or, ‘I was, the only Latino kid or black kid in my college or in my high school class.’ Just showing [students] that you can do or achieve something beyond what is typically expected by society.”