Juan J. Pantoja ’90

Juan died Dec. 6, 2010.

Born in Mexico, he came to Princeton from Alisal High School in Salinas, Calif. Juan was the seventh of nine immigrant children; his family members picked strawberries to support themselves. At Princeton, Juan lived in Forbes College, was a member of Campus Club, and majored in politics. Outside the classroom, he was a leader in Ballet Folklórico (helping to preserve his cultural heritage) and the Chicano Caucus, to which he committed countless hours of service.

After graduating from Princeton, Juan declined an offer to matriculate at Harvard Law School, and joined Teach for America instead. He became a teacher and mentor in an underprivileged and underserved community in South Central Los Angeles. Fully cognizant of the opportunities that a strong education provided him, Juan later obtained two master’s degrees, one from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a second from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. At the time of his passing, Juan was married to Nadya, and was a father to two young daughters.

Juan’s most outstanding trait was always his firm sense of purpose. His personal trials left him with an unwavering commitment to lend a hand to those for whom life’s circumstances made achievement appear distant and unattainable.