Juan Salgado always knew he wanted to do something big with his life, but little did he realize he would become a national influence on the advancement of the quality of life for Latino families. And, a champion for community colleges.
Juan Salgado speaks after the American Association of Community College’s honors him with its Outstanding Alumni Award in 2016.
The American Association of Community Colleges presented Salgado with its Outstanding Alumni Award on April 12, 2016, at its national convention. The award is given annually to community college alumni who have excelled in their field and given back to their community. Moraine Valley nominated Salgado, a 1989 graduate, for the national award.
“Moraine Valley Community College was a very important home for me at a critical time for me,” he said after accepting the award. While attending Moraine Valley, Salgado said he discovered how much he loved to learn.
“It was a moment in time when I began to learn that it was up to me to own my own learning,” he said. “There’s a difference between getting an education and owning your education.”
Salgado’s belief in education was a motivating force that guided him through Dwight D. Eisenhower High School to earning an Associate in Science degree from Moraine Valley Community College, a bachelor’s degree in economics from Illinois Wesleyan University, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Salgado has not only “owned” his own education, but works to inspire the Latino community to own theirs.
Recognized as an influential voice at the local and national levels for his work on the educational, political and economic advancement of the Latino community, Salgado serves as president of Instituto del Progresso Latino, an organization that significantly impacts the lives of Latino families seeking self-sufficiency in Chicago.
Under his leadership, the Instituto has become a flourishing education center providing high-quality programs in workforce development, adult education, English and Spanish literacy, youth after-school and college-preparation programs, and citizenship to nearly 12,000 Chicagoans annually.
Salgado said 42 percent of Instituto’s high school seniors are enrolled in dual credit classes with community colleges and more than half of their graduates go on to attend community college.
“Our seniors go on to community college not because it’s a second choice, it’s because it’s their best choice,” he said.
Salgado’s guidance also contributed to the Instituto being cited as the National Council of La Raza Affiliate of the Year in 2009 and as a White House Champion of Change for Social Innovation in 2011. In 2015, Salgado was named as a MacAurthur Fellow–a prestigious designation that came with no-strings attached five-year financial investment in Salgado’s work.
Salgado also is a participant in the Owner/President Management Program at the Harvard Business School, a Distinguished Alumnus Award winner for Moraine Valley and the Illinois Community Colleges Trustees Association in 2013, and an advisor to the President of Mexico through the Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
Juan Salgado gives a keynote speech during Moraine Valley’s 2014 Commencement Ceremony. He was named the college’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2013.
While Salgado has come far in his career, he will always remember Moraine Valley as the place it all started.
“Twenty-five years have passed since I was at Moraine Valley, and … the determination I had when I was at this campus has only grown,” he said during his 2014 commencement speech at Moraine Valley. “The confidence in my ability to execute greater, the thirst to learn never satisfied, and my belief in the human spirit boundary-less.
“I entered community college in search of my North Star and found it. My North Star was learning, and I vowed to follow it. I’m still following my star, and I have Moraine Valley to thank for instilling in me a love of learning.”
