Finding himself in what he called an awkward situation, Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, said he was humbled to be honored by the William S. Hart Union School District with the One Hart Award.
“I’m usually the guy giving out the awards and the recognition, but I’m humbled by this,” Garcia said at a recent Hart district governing board meeting. “On behalf of the entire team, I accept this beautiful honor. You have my commitment that we’ll continue to do everything we can for this beautiful community.”
Garcia was presented the award, given to members of the Santa Clarita Valley community who embody the district’s core values, by board member Erin Wilson for the value of community.
“Serving as congressman certainly qualifies one to receive this prestigious award, as he is clearly working for the betterment of our community,” Wilson said.
A former Navy fighter pilot who went on to work in the private sector at Raytheon, a U.S. defense contractor, before making a run at Congress in 2020, Garcia, a Saugus High graduate, has represented the Santa Clarita Valley and Antelope Valley for four years.
Wilson said that as someone who recently ran for a lower-level office, she knows how much of a commitment it is to represent others.
But it also means giving back, she said.
“Like our strategic plan with its core values, he also uses four values that begin with the letter ‘C’ to govern in his position: constitution, capitalism, competition, charity,” Wilson said. “And just to give you a little teeny, tiny sliver of what he does, I’m going to quote: In total, over the past three years, team Garcia has organized and executed over 30 charitable events to give back to our law enforcement agencies, schools, small businesses and so much more.”
In attendance at the meeting to take in the occasion were members of the Valencia High School Air Force Junior ROTC.
After receiving the award, Garcia bestowed upon the governing board members and the cabinet members a special coin with symbols representing different areas across the 27th Congressional District, as well as former President Ronald Reagan.
Calling him a symbol of the American Dream after his family emigrated from Mexico to attain a better life, governing board member Joe Messina said young people could use Garcia’s life as an example that anyone can make it in this country.
“I always hear about how the American Dream is dead,” Messina said. “It’s not dead. We have to work a little harder for it, but it’s not dead. And there are many people like that now, even the ones that are coming over the border that do want a better life, that are coming here for the right reasons, they’re finding ways to work. They’re finding ways to partake in that dream.”
