Dora Carrasco
Dora and husband Jimmy struggled for ten years to have children
and feel blessed that they have Isabella 8, and Alejandro 6.
"You don't get a book on how to raise kids,” Dora told
TODAY . "You learn as you go; as you teach your kids
what works and what doesn't.”
Dora recalls one of her early lessons learned when Alexandro
had a tough time learning to write his name. She even offered
to shorten it to Alex but he said no. "When he got it, it was a
celebration. I felt so bad for giving them such long names," she
said. "This trial and error method of teaching has been tough at
times, but fulfilling in its own right.”
One realization that many parents face is the awareness of
their children's differences. "What works for one may not work
for the other; they have two very different personalities,”
she said.
Dora remembers the early years of her children's lives where
she would struggle to take both of them with her to the store or
manage temper tantrums. But as they have gotten older, patience
has been its own reward. “Right now, I am seeing the reward of
being patient with them and showing them how to do things,”
Dora explained. “I can be cooking and they are doing their
homework.”
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Dora, Alejandro, Isabella,
and Jimmy Carrasco
Jill Fortino
When Jill Fortino speaks of her two boys, her face lights
up — she has that twinkle in her eyes and soft smile
usually reserved for the mother of a new born. But her
boys, Nicolas, 19 (a sophmore at Chico State) and Kevin,
17 (a senior at Christopher High, are well on their way
to adulthood.
"I feel lucky to be their mom,” she tells
TODAY .
"I have two amazing kids, they excel academically, they
are polite, motivated and hard working,” she adds.
A teacher since 1995, Jill now teaches seventh grade
at Brownell Middle School. "I taught elementary school
until last year — but I really connect with the middle
school age group; they're not too big for their breeches
yet,” she said.
Her husband, Gino, owns and operates the family
business, Fortino Winery. They have been married for
21 years but actually went to high school together here
in Gilroy.
Jill attributes much of her success as a mother to a
number of things: having a good support system in her
friends and family; having the opportunity to be a stay-at-
home mother for the seven years; and "just being there.”
She down played the challenges of raising the boys
but sited things like sibling rivalry, sports related injuries
and the differences in the their personalities. "They are
so very different,” she noted. She describes Nicholas as
a hands-on, get your hands dirty kind of guy who is
very adaptable. Kevin is less so, a little more anxious,
sensitive, and always has a twinkle in his eye and smile
from ear to ear. Both boys plan to make wine with their
father after college.
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
APRIL/MAY 2018
Jill and Kevin Fortino
gmhtoday.com