Charmaine Josette Perigault Monte (say that 3 times fast!)
I was born on the Caribbean island of Curacao which is a part of the Netherlands Antilles. Raised as a Dutch Citizen on the island I could speak 3 languages by the time I was 6 years old. (Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamentu which is the native dialect). My parents divorced when I was 6 years old and my mother fell in love with an American who became my step-father soon after. He moved us to California and we became legal residents of the United States of America.
In California, it took me less than a year to learn English with the help of my fantastic English Second Language (ESL) class and teacher. Somehow I came through that learning experience without an accent! (which I am bummed about!) I excelled in school and the performing arts. I found my love for performing when I was introduced to the Stanislaus County Office of Education's (SCOE) Youth Entertainment Stage (YES) Company at the age of 12! I continued with the program past high school graduation and attribute my dedication and belief in the work we do at SCOE from the wonderful life-changing experience with YES Company.
I graduated from Thomas Downey High School and then attended Modesto Junior College all while working full time at JCPenny's to pay for college. It was a huge accomplishment to transfer to Stanislaus State University, since both my parents only finished high school, and to receive my Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science. After graduation I was hired on at SCOE to coordinate the Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program and have been there ever since learning the ins and outs of prevention, social emotional learning and afterschool education. My passion for youth advocacy and arming youth with the skills necessary to fulfill their dreams is evident in everything that I have created at SCOE. I will continue to harness that passion to change and save lives through prevention education.