Ken Pesso is a product of the Community College system. While he was an undergraduate, he became interested in the field of criminal justice and began working as an intern for the San Mateo County Probation Department as part of a requirement for a class .
Then, while attending the San Jose State School of Social Work for his M.S.W., he began to work for San Mateo County Probation as a Juvenile Hall Counselor. His master's thesis was a study of causal factors of men who commit domestic violence.
Ken's career with San Mateo Probation lasted 33 years, and he retired in 2011 as the Assistant Chief Probation Officer. He had many interesting assignments over his tenure, including creating a diversion program for mentally ill offenders, and as a first line supervisor for a narcotics and gang suppression unit.
Ken started teaching at Mission in 1998 to give back to the community and "pay it forward." He teaches courses in Psychology and Sociology. More recently, he teaches Criminal Justice courses in Sociology.
Education
- A.A., Los Angeles Pierce College
- B.A., San Francisco State University
- M.S.W., San Jose State University