Our member profile this month is on Rotarian and Assistant Governor, Luis Carranza.
 
Luis is a member of the Rancho Santa Fe club.  He is a Past President and has served as an Assistant Governor for Area 8 (Old Mission, Kearney Mesa San Diego, Southeast San Diego, the E-club - Marian Pavlovich and the Mission Gorge Rotary club).
 
Currently, Luis is the Assistant Governor for Area 4 (Del Mar, Del Mar/Solana Beach, Encinitas, Encinitas Coastal, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach Eco and the San Diego Downtown Evening club). And, for the past two years, he chaired the annual Foundation Seminar.  Both seminars were very successful - not only in attendance, but in showing the great Global Grant and District Grant projects by the clubs.
 
 
But, there is more to Luis than his service and accomplishments in Rotary.  And, now, the rest of the story.
 
Luis was born in Tijuana and lived there until age seven.  He grew up on Sesame Street where he learned to speak English without his parents knowledge.
 
His father, Rogilio, worked for Nassco servicing the ship repairs.  Eventually, Rogilio went to work as a top salesman for Ford dealerships in San Diego.  He and his wife recently retired to Temecula.
 
His mother Consuela was a senior care giver until retiring to Temecula.  Luis’s older brother German, has special needs and lives at home with Rogilio and Consuela.
 
Older sister Patricia lives in Tierra Santa and is a professional violinist.  Her daughter Isabella plays the harp.  Isabella has been sponsored by the Del Mar club the past two years in the music competition.  She has reached the finals each year.
 
Sister Connie lives in Chula Vista and is the school principal of Oceanview Middle School.
 
Luis is the baby of the family.  When he came to San Diego he started at Magnolia Elementary school in El Cajon.  He was tested for English and passed with flying colors thanks to Sesame Street.  His mother was shocked and wanted to know where he learned English.  Elmo taught him.
 
In the sixth grade, his mother rented a violin and gave Luis private lessons.  He picked up violin so fast he became first violin in the school orchestra.   He came under the tutelage of Allen’s Music Center in La Mesa.  His mother turned in the violin rental and purchased a Stradivarius for this up and coming prodigy.  It wasn’t a Stradivarius but an equally fine fiddle.
 
Violin was not Luis choice of instruments.  He really wanted to play sax, but mom was having no part of it.  Mom made sure Luis practiced at least 30 minutes every day under her supervision.  The metronome to keep him on pace.  
 
That wasn’t the only house rule.  Luis was not allowed to play sports, especially his favorite - baseball.  Mom feared he would break his fingers ending a budding, brilliant musical career.  Still baseball is his passion and he is most passionate about his Padres.
 
When Luis moved on to middle school he was taught by renowned music teacher, Lilian Hester.  Under her guidance, he continued to sit first chair violin.  
 
He became a Foothiller by attending Grossmont High School and immediately earned first chair violin as a freshman.  You should know that first chair is a big deal.  First chair tunes the orchestra and high fives the conductor before, during and after the performance.  They don’t actually high five.  They simply shake hands and bow to the orchestra and audience.  Very prestigious stuff.
 
During his senior year in high school he was heavily recruited to play with the San Diego Youth Symphony.  This opened the door for Luis to travel the world playing before sold out audiences in Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria and Hungary.  All were communist countries during this time.  This experience made a tremendous impact on Luis’s life.  He was representing a democratic, capitalistic country playing in communist countries.  He met many people who wished they could live in freedom.  His view of the world changed and crystallized as a result.
 
He had a second musical tour to Spain and Italy that was enchanting and steeped in musical history.
 
Luis attended UCSD where he graduated with a degree in Economics.  He still played violin but not at a higher level. 
 
Realizing who was not going to go on to be a concert violinist a la Yitzhak Pearlman, Luis went into the banking industry.  He started with Home Savings as a teller and worked his way up to working on lines of credit with Washington Mutual.  From there he worked for various brokerage houses helping customers finance new homes and refinance existing home loans.  Today he is as busy as ever with Prime Lending.
 
The second major impactful event in Luis’s life was coaching baseball teams in the north county baseball leagues.  He coached 12-18 year-olds for seven years.  He brought them to tournaments all over Southern California.  Seven or eight of his players would go on to play on major league teams.  He loved coaching the kids up not only about baseball, but about life.
 
The third impactful event in Luis’s life was joining Rotary.  Rotary is his passion and joy.  He takes great satisfaction in making a difference in people’s lives.  Just like he did with music.  And, just like he did when  coaching kids in baseball.  
 
Thank you Luis for all you do for your club, the District and your community.