By Will Carruthers
Alexander Mullaney was wavering between staying at City College of San Francisco or bailing to become a firefighter like his father when he enrolled in a class with editor, publisher, and trailblazer Juan Gonzales. That clinched it: Mullaney would stay in school and study journalism.
That was in 2005, and Mullaney, now the publisher of the Ingleside-Excelsior Light, still consults with his mentor, as do many other former students.
Gonzales “forges life-long relationships,” says Mullaney.
On an evening in mid March, admirers packed into Randy’s, a popular Ocean Avenue bar, to see Gonzales accept a certificate of recognition from Mayor Ed Lee for his 45 years of service as a journalism teacher, department chair and publisher.
“It’s been a fun ride and it’s not over yet,” Gonzales said to a cheering crowd of about 40 members of the journalism community, many his former students.
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