Friday, the Mexican American Community Services Agency will award them for their years of devotion to the community and unsung heroism. MACSA chose longtime locals, Eleanor Villarreal and Louis Godinez, as recipients of the Celebrating Culture through Education Award because they are "champions for South County," said Olivia Soza-Mendiola, chief executive officer of MACSA. County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado and author Jerry Tello will also receive awards.

Not only will Villarreal and Godinez receive similar awards, they go way back.

"I've known Louis since I was 18-years-old," Villarreal laughed. "He was an excellent softball player."

Forty years later, Godinez just wrapped up a career of teaching and coaching, where he put those softball skills to good use.

For more than 30 years, Godinez taught junior high at South Valley and Brownell middle schools, no easy task most educators will agree, and he never strayed far from the classroom or the sports fields. He will receive the Lifetime Educator award from MACSA.

"We wanted to make sure we're honoring an educator who has chosen to stay in the classroom throughout the duration of their career," Soza-Mendiola said. "The number of lifelong teachers is dwindling. It takes a very special person to say this is my life's passion."

Godinez never stopped learning new ways to teach and handle students and that's why he stuck around for so long, he said.

"Sometimes we become a little familiar with what we're doing and even though we thought we knew a whole lot, we're always learning more," he said. "The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know."

Soza-Mendiola said it's important for students to find role models in their teachers and Godinez was a prime example. Villarreal, meanwhile, has devoted the last 20 years of her life to "working selflessly in the nonprofit field."

Villarreal, chief development officer for Rebekah Children's Services, grew up in San Benito County but moved to Gilroy "where everybody knows everybody" to raise her two children. Serendipitously, she fell into the nonprofit sector when looking for a part-time position so she could spend more time with her children. Her work with Hope Services, a local nonprofit that provides programs for the developmentally disabled, segued into a position at Rebekah's.

"Hope was my first experience with a nonprofit and that's when the light came on," Villarreal said. "I loved it. It just felt right. This is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to make this community a better place."

Since she's been with Rebekah's, Villarreal has raised millions of dollars to fund programs and capital projects for the agency and volunteered countless hours to the long list of boards and clubs she serves. MACSA will bestow upon her the Community Advocate award.

Villarreal and Godinez stand out because they focussed their energy on ensuring that South County wasn't overlooked, Soza-Mendiola said. Often, South County is neglected, she said, and the award recipients gave it the voice it deserved.

"Every day when I walk through that gate I think 'what a wonderful place to be'," Villarreal said.