Saida Canel: Dedicated to helping students, building community, and advocating for CPS families

The Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation proudly features Saida Canel in our “Kudos Corner” for her commitment and dedication as an ELL Family Coordinator at Carthage Elementary School. Ms. Canel has used her personal experiences to channel her passion for education advocacy and foster community building for personal growth and collective support.

The Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation honors Saida Canel for her extensive track record of supporting Latino families, serving as a connector between them; she consistently goes the extra mile, above and beyond the duties required of her position. She does far more than her job description demands. Ms. Canel not only works with parents; she also empowers them to become “self-sufficient” and get involved in the school life of their children.

Ms. Canel is a passionate community volunteer. She is deeply committed to the specific goal of building community, and this commitment is clearly reflected in her work. She establishes parent groups to facilitate connections with resources—whether providing information and access to community services, or simply bringing people together to bond and foster a sense of community. Parents themselves are the bearers of this community spirit, and everyone shares and contributes within their own circles.

We commend Ms. Canel as a truly impactful person in our community. Ms. Canel's commitment and passion for building community, empowering multilingual learners, and supporting their families started working as a preschool home visitor for the Palmdale School District in Palmdale, California. She treated families like relatives, empathizing with their struggles and advocating for them. 

Her passion for education leads back to her childhood experiences during the civil war in El Salvador. At six, her parents immigrated to the US, leaving her with her 12-year-old sister and great-grandmother. Tragically, her great-grandmother passed away shortly after. This left Ms. Canel uncertain, as El Salvador’s situation worsened. During her school years between eight and twelve, Ms. Canel faced significant challenges. She missed many days due to the absence of public transportation, forcing her to walk two miles each way. A particularly distressing incident occurred when guerrillas seized her school, blocking her access to education. Upon her return to school, she lacked school supplies, so she borrowed textbooks from a neighbor to complete her homework. Years later, Ms. Canel discovered that her parents had sent money to provide for their needs, but her grandmother had mismanaged the funds. In 1981, at age 12, she immigrated to Los Angeles to reunite with her parents. She felt safe and like she belonged. Adjusting to school was tough, but she was eager to learn. Fortunately, her schools had a good ELL program that offered extra support for English Language Learners. 

Ms. Canel graduated from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California (2014), earning a BA degree in Human Development. She is the first in her family to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Ms. Canel’s husband moved to Cincinnati in 2016 to support her brother at La Viña Price Hill, now La Viña Cincinnati Church. In 2017, Ms. Canel moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to join her husband. She has two children, ages 30 and 33, and two grandchildren.

Information was sourced from Saida Canel and Leyla Pena, Senior Communications Specialist at the ELL Office. The photograph was provided by Saida Canel.

The Kudos Corner, an initiative of the Hispanic Chamber of Cincinnati Foundation, seeks to acknowledge and honor the remarkable accomplishments of Latino individuals who have made a substantial impact on their communities.

Lorena Mora-Mowry, host of the Latina Today Podcast and a member of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation Board, coordinates the “Kudos Corner” section for the Hispanic Chamber of Cincinnati Foundation's website.