Raquel Alvarez is a stay at home mom and comes from a family who believed in being community service leaders.  Her grandparents were involved with the democratic process by being poll workers and her grandmother was a member of LULAC in the early sixties and seventies.  She is proud to be of Mexican-American heritage and the family culture that it teaches.  Raquel’s husband has lived in Oceanside since the seventies and has gone through the OUSD school system graduating from OHS.  Her son is currently attending OHS.  

She has become familiar with OUSD practices over the past four years learning the inner workings of the administration.  She has educated herself in the business of the school district by participating in many of the diverse groups offered, such as DPAC, LCAP, O’Side Parents 4Kids and others.  Encouraged by Garrison’s principal at the time (Dr. Fausto Barragan) she attended a conference entitled FLI at Laurel Elementary which is where she realized that as a parent, she has voice in her child’s education.  After trying to start a PTO with her husband for Garrison, she realized the problems that faced parents in the district in obtaining a fair and equal education for all students.  She would like to see equal opportunities in both resources and facilities for all children regardless of where they live.  This desire to bring equality to all schools within the district is why she decided to become a school board member.  She believes by bringing the parents perspective to the administrators of the district this will help improve every child’s educational experience.

She believes our teachers are OUSD’s greatest asset.  Without teachers we don’t have education and without education one cannot achieve their full potential.  She encourages all parents and guardians to become involved and take part in their child’s learning experience.  She looks forward to serving you as a Trustee for District Area 4, and your children for the next four years and believe that with the communities support that all children will receive an equal education. Contact Raquel Alvarez at raquel.alvarez@oside.us

Dr. Stacy Begin is a National Board Certified Teacher with 25 years of experience in public education. She started her teaching career in Special Education in Los Angeles Unified in 1994 and worked for two years in Solana Beach School District as a Resource Specialist. In 1997 she began teaching Special Education in Oceanside Unified Education as a Resource Specialist at Libby Elementary and continued to teach a Special Day Class at El Camino High School. Through her tenure in Oceanside, Dr. Begin worked as a support provider for new special teachers in the District and was involved in her school site council and leadership team. 

Dr. Begin is a proud parent of an OUSD student who was in the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Program. As an involved parent, she is active in the OUSD District Parent Advisory Committee, serves on the OUSD School Site Council for Reynolds Elementary, is a member of the OUSD Local Control and Accountability Committee, and a founding member of the parent network called Oside Parents 4 Kids. She has spent the last ten years actively engaging Oceanside parents, families, and educators in conversations on matters critical to student success.  

She has also earned a Doctoral degree in K-12 Curriculum and Instruction; and two Master’s degrees in Special Education and Educational Administration. Currently, Dr. Begin is a labor management consultant for the California Teachers Association and works with school districts throughout San Diego County to support contract negotiations, allocation of district finances, and advocacy for the teaching profession. Additionally, she supports educators pursuing National Board Certification throughout California in a strategic partnership with Stanford University and California County Offices of Education. 

Dr. Begin’s experience as a classroom teacher and extensive background in education has resulted in her dedication to high expectations for all students, including Special Education and English Language Learners. Contact Stacy Begin at stacy.begin@oside.us (District Area 3).

Mike Blessing was first elected to the OUSD Board of Education in November, 2008 and most recently re-elected in November, 2020 from the District 5 area.  He brings to the board more than 40 years of experience in public service to the City of Oceanside and the North County. During this time frame he served the City and Oceanside community in a variety of positions. Mike worked as a staff planner for 10 years and as a planning director for 15 years. For a period of eight years, he held the post of Deputy City Manager in Oceanside and retired in 2009. Mike was born and raised in Los Angeles. A graduate of Venice High, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from San Francisco State and his master’s degree in City Planning from San Diego State. His wife, Sandi Blessing, who recently passed away, also served on the Oceanside School Board from 1992-1996. They had two grown sons, Joey and Ben, both of whom attended and graduated from Oceanside schools – Ivey Ranch Elementary, MLK Middle School, and El Camino High School.  Mike is committed to public process and ensuring that our kids receive the best all-around education possible from the best teachers and support staff in the region and in top notch school facilities that our students and community richly deserves and supports.  Contact Mike Blessing at mike.blessing@oside.us.

Eleanor Evans was elected to the OUSD Board of Education in November 2016. Ms. Evans believes quality public education is the greatest asset and greatest equalizer for achieving equity and human rights. She has devoted her 48 year teaching career to promoting high academic achievement, positive social-emotional wellbeing of her students, and equality. 

Ms. Evans has been a resident of Oceanside for over 30 years. She earned her a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics/social sciences for teaching and a Master of Science in counseling and administration at San Diego State University. She has taught elementary and secondary education in the Oceanside Unified School District and the San Diego Unified School District.  She was an adjunct professor in the School of Education at San Diego State University and has taught economics at Mira Costa and San Diego Community College Districts. 

Ms. Evans advocates that our district prioritize and sufficiently fund our classrooms to enable our staff to empower and educate optimally our student - closing any and all achievement gaps. The shared benefits of her experiences, expertise, and professionalism will enable all educators and all students to help achieve their maximum potential.  She looks forward to serving the Oceanside Unified School District as a trustee (District Area 2).  Contact Eleanor Evans at eleanor.evans@oside.us.

Nancy Licona is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She was born and raised in Orange County, where she attended public schools and completed a K-12 dual-immersion program with the Seal of Biliteracy. Upon graduation, Licona moved to San Diego to attend UC San Diego, and became the first person in her family to attend college.

During college, her courses and work experiences in education as a college peer advisor and program leader for the Boys and Girls Club, further propelled her passion for mentoring and supporting youth to achieve their dreams. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Licona attended CSULB to pursue a Masters in Counseling to become a school counselor and worked as a Career Coach for high school students in community, continuation, and juvenile correctional schools.

She moved to Oceanside 7 years ago when she obtained her first full-time school counseling job after completing graduate school. Licona has served as a middle school counselor for 7 years, advocating for and supporting students' social-emotional, academic, and college/career needs. In addition, she has served students as a part-time counselor for the Migrant education program, and volunteer for the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project and Girls On The Run. Licona is committed to building opportunities and positive experiences for students and families in this community beyond the four walls of her office.