María Elvira Salazar: “this morning as we stand here in our Nation's Capitol, family and friends in Colorado are gathered together to celebrate…”

“this morning as we stand here in our Nation's Capitol, family and friends in Colorado are gathered together to celebrate the life of a truly great American, a wonderful human being. The child of Mexican immigrants, Eva Baca was born on January 1, 1929 in Pueblo, Colorado. She graduated from Pueblo Central High School and attended Colorado State College. Ms. Baca, as a member of the first graduating class in 1965. As a widowed mother of two, she balanced motherhood and her studies while attending Adams State College, receiving her master's in education in 1968. Upon graduation, Ms. Baca taught at Lakeview and Hellbeck Elementary Schools. She went on to get her principal's certificate, and in 1972 she took her first administrative position at the new Eastwood Heights Elementary School. There she instituted new reading programs for children from low-income families. Eva Baca was a strong advocate for the community in which she lived and worked to provide opportunities and increased accessibility to Pueblo's isolated, east side neighborhood. In 1983, Eva Baca was named director of Title I programs for Pueblo School District No. 60, a position she held for a decade until her retirement. Eva Baca has been recognized throughout Colorado and across the country with various honors and awards. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing her has a wonderful story to tell.”