González serves as the senior graphic designer at the Community College of Philadelphia, where he also functioned as an advisor for the College’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO, 1992-2001). LASO is an international organization that promotes education, understanding, and support all aspects of Latino culture, including history, arts, cuisine, music, and more. As a LASO advisor, González servesed as a valuable link between students and the resources available to Latinos.When he is not designing the College’s numerous publications or directing photography for the Web site, González turns the tables and transforms College staff into students. As a member of the College’s Diversity Council, he educates faculty members about the Latino population, and has hosted guests who spoke about Puerto Rican history in Philadelphia.
Gilberto González
In January 2002, González shared his experiences and successes as a single father to the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation’s Fatherhood Initiative Program “Dads Making a Difference.” He stressed the importance of education and reflected on the hardships faced by young fathers, many of whom are forced to drop out of school in order to care for their children.
Education is González’ mainstay and, realizing the need for Latino support systems, he dedicates much of his time to organizations that encourage young Latinos to stay in school and continue their education. He noted that the dropout rate for Latino students is very high, beginning in junior high, but that percentage seems bound to decrease with people like González working to make a change.
ASPIRA and LULAC are organizations to which González often refers students. Both associations promote the education and development of Latino youth with services such as GED certification, financial aid, career counseling, and leadership training. By providing educational opportunity, LULAC and ASPIRA help young Latinos confront the unique challenges with which they are faced. Born of Puerto Rican parents, González grew up in Philadelphia and understands first-hand the racism and hardships facing the Latino community.“Going through high school was tough.
Going through college was tougher,” he said. González did not let adversity slow him down. After receiving an associate degree of fine arts from Community College of Philadelphia, he continued his education at University of the Arts, where he earned a bachelor degree in graphic design. In 1989, González tapped his personal motivation and graphic design skills in order to create Cinco Graphics at the Taller Puertorriqueño, a professional training program that allowed high school students to prepare for college or the workforce in graphic design.
Cinco Graphics was selected from a variety of other Philadelphia-based arts projects to be featured in 1992 on WHYY’s Spotlight, a series that explores local cultures. The 20-minute video segment was produced largely by the students. Many Cinco Graphics participants pursued higher education at local colleges, including Community College of Philadelphia, and one student, directly after high school, secured a job with a national publication company. In 1993 Gilberto was also featured in a series of comercials produce by ABC promoting education (Never Stop Learning).
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