VIRGINIA MORENO THOMAS, FUHS 1958
MESSAGE FROM MIKIE ABOUT Virginia Moreno Thomas, FUHS 1958
Here is an article about Virginia Moreno Thomas from our class who was honored by the Orange County Register as one of the influential people in 2014. She was recognized by the Placentia City Council for her work in December 2014. A longer article about her appeared in the Placentia News Times portion of the Register. The cutest thing she said was that in high school she was once sent to the principal’s office for speaking Spanish in class, but now they pay her to speak Spanish.
Most Influential 2014: Virginia Thomas
Updated Dec. 29, 2014 2:15
p.m.
BY ALMA FAUSTO / STAFF WRITER
Age:
74
Job: Volunteer, Placentia Police
Department
Bio: While growing up in
Fullerton, Thomas was discouraged from speaking Spanish in school. Since then,
she’s made a career of it. In 1984, while working as an interpreter at Orange
County Superior Court, she started volunteering as a language interpreter and
instructor with the Placentia Police Department. She’s since retired from the
courtroom job, but still contributes to the police force. She lives in
Placentia with her husband, a retired sheriff’s deputy.
Why she's an influencer: In
2014, Thomas
was honored for 30 years of service to the Placentia Police Department.
When she began volunteering, she helped authorities communicate with victims.
But she noticed a growing need for Spanish speakers among the officers, and
developed a Spanish curriculum for the department. She calls her classes
“Spanish for Law Enforcement.” Thomas has armed officers with common words,
phrases and slang. She also teaches officers about cultural differences and
sensitivities.
Biggest challenge: As the
department’s only Spanish speaking Latina volunteer, she sometimes gets called
late at night to help with a translation. After 30 years, she’s still happy to
help.
Work philosophy: “If one
person is helped, I will feel that I’ve done something.”
Thoughts on police interaction
with the community: When people know there will be someone at the police
department who will understand them, they feel more comfortable approaching
police officers. She has seen people more willing to report crimes and trust police.
Inspiration: She gets
motivation from police officers in the department who go out of their way to
help needy people.
Can’t do without: The
kindness of the many people she works with at the department.
What's next: She plans to
stay on as a volunteer at the department.
Another article:
BY ANDERS
HOWMANN / STAFF WRITER
Virginia Thomas has
worked under nine police chiefs since she joined the Placentia Police
Department’s Volunteer in Police program as an interpreter and language
instructor in 1984.
The Placentia resident was honored last
week for her 30 years of service to the department.
“I was very humbled about it,” Thomas, 73,
said. “I do whatever I have to do and whatever I can to help out the city.”
Thomas has spent between 16 and 25 hours a
month volunteering for the department. Over the years, she’s interviewed
victims, responded to 911 calls with officers and developed a Spanish
curriculum for the department.
Instead of holding long lectures on grammar
and composition, Thomas arms officers with common words, phrases and slang. She
calls her classes “Spanish for Law Enforcement.”
Thomas also emphasizes cultural
sensitivity. Topics include Mexican naming conventions and the significance of
holidays such as Dia de los Muertos.
Thomas began volunteering with the
department while working as a courtroom interpreter for the Orange County
Superior Court. She quickly noticed a growing need for Spanish speakers in law
enforcement.
“When I started, it was my main goal to
make sure that an officer had the same opportunity with a Spanish-speaking
person and an English-speaking person,” Thomas said.
She said she finds it ironic that many
looked down on her first language while she was growing up in the ’40s and
’50s; Thomas’ parents emigrated from Mexico to the United States before she was
born. The Fullerton native was even sent to the dean’s office once for speaking
Spanish in class.
Thomas began working at the North Justice
Center soon after she graduated.
“Now they were paying me the big bucks to
speak Spanish,” Thomas said.
Thomas currently helps catalog evidence in
the property department. She also volunteers at city events such as shred days
and drug take-back days.
She plans to continue volunteering with the
department.
“I believe what you put in is what you are
going to get out,” she said.
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posted by Connie @ 11:24 AM
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