Borrego Sun - Since 1949

I was introduced to Curt Yaws, administrator for the Basic Assistance to Students in the Community, during my first assignment for the Borrego Sun. He is now the newest member of the Borrego Springs Unified School District Board, and kindly agreed to an impromptu interview.

Sun: Tell us about yourself. Who is Curt Yaws?

Yaws: I'm 63 years old, married for 32 years to Janet, who has had a career in human relations, and we have one son and one grandson. I have an MBA from Baylor University, and worked in banking and real estate management for my career. I was self-employed in commercial real estate management and investment since 1991. For about 25 years, I have been involved in supporting higher education for children of poverty in the Dominican Republic. One of my students received her MBA this year, and will begin teaching ethics and management in a university in the DR next year. I also teach performance car driving on race tracks. I raced Porsches in the past, and enjoy instructing.

Sun: Explain your involvement in the Borrego community as your time here increased, and what led you to BASIC.

Yaws: It became apparent that we wanted to get more involved in the community and meet the people. We wanted to meet the whole community, not just the retirees like ourselves. It took me a while to find the thing I was most interested in, and my passion for education, I found a venue in BASIC. I was looking for 'those people who give the scholarships out' and neighbor Donna Nourse pointed me to Joanne Ingwall at BASIC. She explained their program to me, and I asked about their volunteer opportunities. The Reading Academy was in the planning stages, and funding was short. I looked at the proposal and budget, and offered to become the volunteer Headmaster/Administrator. Education is not my background, but for many years on vacation, I was the administrator of temporary medical clinics in the Dominican Republic. I don't know anything about medicine either, but I can manage a business.

Sun: Why did you decide to join the BSUSD board, and what do you hope to accomplish?

Yaws: I joined the BASIC board because I believe in what they are doing. The board is made up of a bunch of very creative thinkers, trying to do good in Borrego. It's a nice group to associate with. I ran for the school board for the same reason. The school board is much more complex and the issues are larger. I'm sure it will take me a while to get my arms around the problems and opportunities. I hope that I can bring my business background to the table, while I appreciate the deep educational background of the other board members. I believe education is the route to success in life, and if we can give our Borrego students a steadily improving outcome, I think that's all we can ask. Send a check to BSUSD also!

Full interview in the Dec. 27 issue of the Borrego Sun.