Each year, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment celebrates how local Hispanic and Latino Americans have contributed to the Johnson County community and its health and well-being. In this article, DHE is recognizing Erik Erazo, who has played a major role in building bridges within the Olathe community.

As a first-generation American growing up in California, Erazo faced learning challenges and dealt with others' expectations about who he was and what he could achieve. This helped him relate to students facing similar struggles, especially those who identified as Latino and were balancing different identities at home and school. His strong connections with students led him to teaching and later to working in the school district’s administration. 

Erazo has worked in the Olathe Public School District for over 20 years, starting as a school security officer. His strong connections with students led him to teaching and later to working in the school district’s administration. Today, Erazo is the Executive Director of Student and Community Engagement for Olathe Public Schools, where he creates programs to support at-risk students and builds partnerships with the broader community to help sustain these efforts.

One of these bridging programs is “The Spot” – a weekly after-school space for students in 6th through 12th grade that provides a safe and free place to learn, play and create. Erazo and the school district partner with groups like the Olathe Public Library, Johnson County Mental Health Center, Olathe Fire and Police Departments, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to keep the program running with volunteers and mentors.

At The Spot, students and adults connect and learn about each other through activities like making things in the maker's space, recording music in a studio, playing basketball, or working on homework. The program creates opportunities for positive interactions and growth between groups that might not normally connect. These positive interactions build trust and help break down stereotypes, forming genuine relationships.

Erazo knows the difference one caring adult can make in a young person’s life because he experienced it himself when he sought help as a young adult. Now, he is that caring adult, helping students build their futures while fostering understanding and connections across communities that strengthen and enrich Johnson County.