Aspiring Latino Leader Fellows Bay Area 2022
Aspiring Latino Leader Fellows Greater Houston 2022
Aspiring Latino Leader Fellows Massachusetts 2022
Aspiring Latino Leader Fellows 2021
Boston Public Schools
Aspiring Latino Leader Fellows Greater Houston 2022
R.D. Leyva serves as the Chief of Staff at Latinos for Education. He supports the CEO and leadership team, providing tactical oversight and support across the organization and through special projects. He joined the team in 2016 and served as the Director of National Engagement, where he connected a national network of Latinos to professional development opportunities, resources, and one another.
Previously, he was the Director of Diversity and Leadership at Teach For America, where he supported the organization’s corps members and alumni of color across the country. He was responsible for building and developing a strong regional presence of alumni through their involvement with The Collective, Teach For America’s Alumni of Color Association. R.D. led efforts to create regional alumni advisory Collective boards in 32 regions across the country. He also supported national initiatives, including corps member and alumni summits and the annual School Leaders of Color Conference.
R.D. began his professional career as a middle school math teacher in West Philadelphia while earning his teaching certification at The University of Pennsylvania. He is a native Texan and holds a B.S. in Interpersonal Communications from The University of Texas at Austin. R.D. is a graduate of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Leaders Program and an inaugural Pahara-Aspen NextGen Fellow. He also serves as a board member for oneTILT. As a proud Mexican and first-generation college graduate, R.D. is passionate about supporting an inclusive community of Latino leaders from diverse backgrounds.
Amanda is a social entrepreneur and CEO/Founder of Latinos for Education, the first Latino founded and led national organization solely dedicated to creating leadership pathways for emerging Latino leaders in education and diversifying education nonprofit boards. Amanda began working on issues of educational opportunity and representation serving as the Vice President of Latino external engagement at Teach For America and a Director at The Bridgespan Group, supporting clients on organization and talent development. Amanda’s career spans over 25 years working in the fields of recruiting, diversity, organization development, change management, strategic planning and Latino community engagement.
Over the course of her professional career, Amanda has been a frequent speaker at conferences and events. She is a Trustee of the Board with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Roxbury Community College. She is a Fall 2015 Aspen Pahara Fellow out of the prestigious Aspen Institute and delivered the convocation speech at Boston University School of Education graduation. El Planeta has twice named her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in Massachusetts and she’s a Senior Fellow at FutureEd. Amanda holds an M.S. in Education from Fordham University and a B.A. from Western Illinois University. She lives in the Boston area with her spouse and two children.
Passionate about educating young children, Jennifer Aponte is in her thirteenth year of teaching pre-K (K1) for Boston Public Schools (BPS). Jennifer is also a member of the Mildred Avenue K-8 School’s Instructional Leadership Team.
Jennifer is a fierce advocate for educational equity. To this end she is a member of the Boston School Committee’s Opportunity and Achievement Gaps Task Force (OAGTF). As an OAGTF member, Jennifer helped to update the BPS Policy to Eliminate Opportunity and Achievement Gaps. She continues to work with central offices of BPS to monitor and support implementation of the policy throughout the district.
Jennifer is diligently growing her capacity for effective leadership in order to better serve her students and families. Jennifer has studied organizational change with a focus on school culture. She is an alumna of BPS Women Educators of Color Executive Leadership program, Latinos for Education’s Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellowship, and Teach Plus’ Teaching Policy Fellowship.
Jennifer is certified in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, English as a Second Language, and Reading. Jennifer earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Boston University and her M.S.Ed in Language and Literacy from Simmons College.
Originally from Edinburg, Texas, Juan has lived in Massachusetts since 2008. He brings his unique perspective from his past as a migrant worker who eventually studied his way to Harvard University, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Ethnic Studies. He currently works at Hyde Square Task Force, a youth community development center in the Latin Quarter of Boston as a College Success Coordinator, where he uses his experience to help guide young people in the Boston Public School system to stay on track and become high achievers in school and beyond. This coming fall, Juan is returning to Harvard, selected as an Urban Scholar Fellow at the Graduate School of Education, where he is pursuing his Masters of Education in Education Policy and Management.
Kathy Cueva is a Program Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement team, where she works at the state, district and school level to support strategic planning and school improvement planning and implementation. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Kathy managed Excel Academy Charter Schools’s data infrastructure and Ed Tech platforms to support academic excellence by sculpting data strategy, improving team members’s access to key data, and driving district analysis and evaluation.
She previously worked with Teach For America alumni in her home state of New Jersey transforming data into information and insight into strategy. A student of the Newark district, Kathy is excited to help schools, districts and states close the opportunity gap. She graduated from Seton Hall University in 2011 with a M.A. in Diplomacy & International Relations. Kathy is an alum of Education Pioneers & Latinos for Education’s Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellowship.
Caroline DeLeon received her B.A in History and Spanish from Alfred University and her M.A. in Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. Caroline’s professional and teaching expertise focuses on the experiences and needs of multicultural, immigrant, LGBTQ, and first-generation college students in addition to varying socio-economic status identities, topics, and advocacy needs. Her teaching experience has included instruction at UMass Boston and Northeastern University where she has taught and worked with underserved student populations that come from backgrounds that have limited access to college transition needs and knowledge with a focus on college success, race, and financial aid literacy.
Caroline initially joined the AU community in September of 2011 as part of the Office of Multicultural Affairs which merged with other campus resources to create the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. As a Program Coordinator with CDI, she developed campus events, collaborated with campus partners, and advocated on behalf of multicultural and first-generation students on campus. Her passion for working with students has taken her abroad with Alternative Breaks to both Havana, Cuba and Mexico City, Mexico.
In her current role as Assistant Director of First-Year Advising, Caroline continues to provide guidance to American University students through academic planning and AUx curriculum development and instruction. Caroline is a native of Massachusetts.
Yasenia Dudley is an Afro-Latina, born and raised in Boston. She currently serves as the High School Dean of Culture at Academy of the Pacific Rim. As the Dean of Culture, she manages disciplinary procedures, school culture and student behavior.
She received her Masters in Counseling from William James College and her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She will be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall pursuing her Doctorate in Education.
Chris Espinoza is the Assistant Director for Student Life at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. Chris completed his Bachelors of Science in Psychology and English at Bridgewater State University and his Masters Degree in Higher Education Administration in Student Affairs at Boston College. While completing his Masters, Chris worked at Bridgewater State University, Boston College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chris primarily works in student activities, student leadership, and college housing; but also has experience in academic advising, multicultural affairs, orientation, and high school to college bridge programs. Originally from San Diego California, Chris moved to Massachusetts for college as a first generation college student and his primary professional interest is in student leadership development for students from underrepresented populations.
Yahaira-Maria Frier was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts. As a first-generation Dominican-American, she takes great pride in her culture and the values it has instilled in her. She earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with a concentration in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She is an alum of City Year Boston and has her Master of Arts in Teaching from Simmons College. For the past three years, she has worked at UP Academy Leonard in her hometown of Lawrence, serving a predominantly Dominican population, most of whom have just arrived to the United States within the past year or two. Yahaira-Maria feels a great sense of responsibility and privilege to work with this population in the very city that has made her who she is today.
Luis Gallegos is a secondary school educator and public policy fellow in Boston Public Schools. As an educator, he served as the 6th-8th grade English & Spanish Language Arts teacher at the Rafael Hernandez School in Roxbury, MA. He is originally from Los Angeles, CA, where he received his Bachelor’s in English Literature & Central American Studies from Cal State Northridge and a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Southern California.
Carlos Augusto Gonzalez currently serves as a Campus Director at the Joseph A. Browne Middle School in Chelsea. He was born in Puerto Rico and raised in The Bronx, NY and has resided in Massachusetts since 2014. Formerly, Carlos served as the Americrop Teaching Fellow. Infusing his passions for art & culture he taught mathematics, art & design, and was a high school advisor all the while. His partnership with the school’s administration deepened his passions to provide a voice for students’ and their families. He believes deeply that our current students are reflections of us and we must work together as a community to bridge the gaps. A creator at heart, he holds a BA in Graphic Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Marvin Gutierrez is a graduate of the Boston Public School system and the University of Rhode Island where he double majored in Mathematics and Secondary Education. Marvin taught in Baltimore City Public Schools where he was able to collaborate with John Hopkins University in designing lesson plans focused on STEM concepts. Upon returning to Boston Public Schools as a teacher, he created a STEM class and engaged in various aspects of school leadership. Marvin’s continued passion for integrating STEM disciplines lead him to earn a Masters in Science Education from Boston University with a focus on Physics. In pursuit of change, he landed at the Cambridge School of Weston where he has been able to practice and develop his craft in teaching, curriculum development and school leadership.
Christina Rosa Jusino is a Founding Teacher with the Brooke Charter School network. She has served as an Advanced Educator in the Lawrence Public School System and was named to El Mundo Boston’s Latino 30 Under 30 List for her impact in education and in the professional Latinx community in Boston.
Christina is in her 8th year as an educator and believes that developing and cultivating teacher leadership is a key factor in retaining highly effective teachers in the classroom. Her current project as a teacher leader at Brooke is focused on supporting the social-emotional growth of all students at school by infusing Restorative Justice practices into the current school culture system.
Cristina is an alumna of Latinos for Education’s Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellowship, the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship, and she was the recipient of the Sontag Prize for Urban Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters of Education from Boston University. She also co-founded both an Undergraduate and Graduate chapter of her Latina community service sorority Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.
The son of parents who immigrated to the United States from Guatemala, Giovany Morales-Ramos was born and raised in Boston. He was a member of the first graduating class of one of Boston’s first charter schools, Roxbury Prep, a place where he learned what it meant to be academically challenged and supported. He continued on to a private high school called The Governor’s Academy and then to Wentworth Institute of Technology where he studied Mechanical Engineering.
Giovany began his career an IT support specialist at Boston Prep where he realized his true passion lies in mentoring and educating minority students. Seven years later, Giovany concluded his work at Boston Prep as the Director of Technology, an advisor, a varsity soccer and baseball coach, and as a mentor for many students.
Giovany is now at the Harvard Graduate School of Education getting a masters in School Leadership. He plans on using his degree, along with his experiences at Boston Prep and Roxbury Prep to open a school. In his spare time, when Giovany is not mentoring and educating students, he enjoys video games, reading, and spending time with his wife and two dogs.
As Senior Manager of College and Career Pathways, Jorge works with KIPP regions to improve the quality of college matches for students entering college, supports KIPP’s career integration implementation, and manages KIPP’s National Scholarship Strategy.
Prior to KIPP, Jorge worked as the Director of College Counseling at KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate in Lynn, Massachusetts where he was responsible for managing the region’s College Counseling team. Through his leadership, Jorge led the expansion and restructuring of the college counseling team and spearheaded some of the strongest college match metrics across the entire KIPP network. He received a B.A. in Chicano/a studies from UCLA and a M.A. in Applied Psychology from New York University.
Lorena Lopera is Executive Director, Massachusetts at Latinos for Education.
Throughout her career, Lorena dedicated over 10 years leveraging relationships to resource quality educational opportunities for youth and families. Previously, Lorena served as Director of Development at Building Excellent Schools (BES), a national organization focused on school leadership formation. Prior to her work with BES, Lorena worked as Chief of Staff at City Year, Miami. There she oversaw finances, personnel and operations for an organization providing academic support to over 5,000 children across Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Beforehand, Lorena worked on cultivating corporate philanthropy and individual donors with the Posse Foundation and Epiphany School.
Lorena graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Hispanic Studies. She is a first-generation immigrant from Colombia who knows every child is capable of success when provided with support and opportunities. Lorena believes patience, cooperation, hard work and a passion to provide quality education for youth and families helps build strong communities and future opportunities. Lorena lives in Boston with her spouse and two children.
Leidy V. Quiceno was born in Colombia and raised in Boston, MA. She is passionate about civil, racial, and educational rights. She has a B.A. in Criminal Justice (magna cum laude); is a member of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society (Alpha Phi Sigma); and has earned a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy, and has an M.S. in Transnational, Cultural, and Community studies from the University of Massachusetts – Boston.
As a former teacher turned Student Advocate, she worked to racially, politically and academically empower “at-promise” urban and immigrant youth in/out of high school. She also worked as a Research Assistant/Coordinator for UMass Boston’s Latino Student Success Initiative (LSSI) and the Latinx Leadership Opportunity Program (LLOP). Her 2016 LSSI research project shed light on the personal, academic, and professional experiences of Latinx transfer students from Bunker Hill Community College, whom expressed the many barriers (language, racial, cultural, and financial) they face on a day-to-day basis as non-traditional first generation students. Her presentation at the Annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Conference sought to communicate how educators and higher educational institutions can listen to the voices and narratives of vulnerable and marginalized populations in order to best support such students to achieve academic success.
As a graduate student, Leidy Quiceno focused on solution-oriented, Critical and “Freiren” teaching approaches to dismantle the School-to-Prison pipeline. She completed her internship at Roca in Chelsea and taught HiSet/GED classes to Central American Immigrant Youth. She aspires to continue working and empowering marginalized Black and Latinx youth, as well as their communities through her roles as an abundant leader, popular educator, community organizer, mentor, and advocate.
For the past ten years, Vivian has empowered youth and their families to advocate for their needs and the needs of their communities. Her primary objective has always been to encourage all of her students to thrive. She was born and raised in South Boston and attended Boston Public Schools from elementary to high school. Currently, Vivian works for Tenacity as the Site Director at the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston, where she manages extended learning time programs for 84 middle school students. Prior to working at Tenacity, she completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Simmons College, where she provided individual therapy and psychosocial assessments to adults at an outpatient mental health clinic in South Boston during her field placement. In between finishing her undergraduate studies in Social Work from Salem State University and her Master’s Degree, Vivian worked for two years for Sociedad Latina as an Education Coordinator, overseeing afterschool and summertime programming, and for the Phillips Brooks House Association, a student-run, non-profit organization affiliated with Harvard College, as a summer Director of Programs, supporting college-aged directors of summer camps for low-income youth in Boston. She currently lives in South Boston.
Estefania Rodriguez Sanchez is a teacher, coach, and consultant committed to challenging the master narratives that erase the histories of people of color and works to interrupt and dismantle racist practices and frameworks in education. Originally from Colombia, Rodriguez immigrated to Hartford, CT when she was five years old. As a first-generation college student, she fulfilled her dream of becoming an educator and returned to teach in the community that raised her.
Rodriguez is dedicated to increasing the numbers of teachers of color in the classroom and supporting all teachers in using critical pedagogy, ethnic studies, restorative justice, and community activism to empower students and their families. Currently, she is a 6th grade Humanities teacher in Oakland, CA. She previously served as the K-8 History Instructional Coach for Cambridge Public Schools where she supported teachers in developing Culturally Sustaining practices and implementing social justice in the history curriculum. Ultimately, she sees education as liberation.
Elena Sicairos is from Boston, Massachusetts and attended and graduated from the Boston Public Schools system. She went on to Clark University for undergraduate education and then graduated from UMass Boston with her M.Ed. in School Counseling. Her interests in working and supporting students has led her in and out of schools in various capacities.
She has worked at the Steppingstone Foundation since 2012 and now serves as the Director of Student Support Services where she works closely with the President of Programs, managing the department, supporting a team of five Advisors, program oversight, and data-driven decision making.
Elysa Severinghaus grew up in rural Vermont and graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Geography and Linguistics. She moved to Boston to work at Match Charter Public High School as a tutor in the Match Corps, and spent a second year at Match coaching first-year tutors and managing multilingual community outreach and student recruitment for the founding of the Match Community Day Charter School. After Match, Elysa worked in KIPP Massachusetts’s regional office on school operations and compliance, board management, student recruitment, and staff recruitment.
In 2012, she returned to instruction as the founding English Language Learner Specialist at KIPP Academy Boston where she built the English Language Education program and taught 5th and 6th grade students. Elysa is currently a Senior Program Manager at Empower Schools, an education nonprofit committed to partnering with communities to develop systems of highly autonomous and accountable district schools that best serve the needs of students. Elysa speaks Spanish and French, enjoys many kinds of exercise (but especially dance), and runs a book club focused on topics in social justice and racial equity.
Francina G. Victoria is the Manager of Pipeline & Diversity Programs for Boston Public Schools. Francina works to ensure that prospective educators have sustainable pathways into the classroom, and creates diverse programming support to retain talent. Prior to this role, Francina served as the Program Manager for the Boston Public Schools Teaching Fellowship in collaboration with TNTP and Operations Manager with Lawrence Public Schools.
Francina holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a Masters of Arts in Economic and Social Development of Regions, both from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She has a passion for education and breaking down the barriers that impede students from having quality teachers. Francina’s commitment to sustainable community growth has led her to work with groups that empower and embrace the cultivation of potential within our community. It is with this same passion that Francina looks to support talented prospective and current educators across the district.
Andrea is a Managing Director at Mass Insight Education & Research. In this capacity, Andrea sits on Mass Insight’s leadership team and co-leads Mass Insight’s school improvement department. Andrea oversees multiple engagements in Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. She has also managed several state, district, and school improvement initiatives across the country including transformation zone design, district and school diagnostics, and strategic planning. In each engagement, Andrea collaborates closely with state, district, school and community stakeholders to design and implement academic and organizational strategies to strengthen school performance on behalf of student needs.
Prior to joining Mass Insight, Andrea worked with TNTP to design and improve teacher recruitment, selection, development, and evaluation strategies across the country. Andrea also managed TNTP’s new teacher training and support program with Chicago Public Schools. Andrea taught in bilingual education at some of the highest-poverty elementary schools in Austin, Texas. She received the district’s Teacher of Promise award for an outstanding first-year teacher. Originally from Bolivia, Andrea earned a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Daniel Velasco serves as President at Latinos for Education, where he brings deep experience in education, entrepreneurship, fundraising, and strategy. He was previously Chief Growth & Impact Officer and originally joined as VP of Strategy and Programs in 2017 after five years at Johns Hopkins as Boston Executive Director and later Regional Director overseeing 14 schools across the northeast in the largest randomized control trial of school reform in American history (Diplomas Now i3 Study). Dr. Velasco was program faculty at Harvard’s School Turnaround Leadership program for 6 years. He started as a teacher with Teach For America and consults on issues including evaluation, teacher retention, and adult learning and development. He serves on the boards of the National Center for Teacher Residencies, Rocketship Public Schools, and the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network. Dr. Velasco was honored by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in recognition for national service.
Originally from Peru, he was raised in Venezuela and came to the U.S. as a teenager. He earned a BA with Honors in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and is a graduate of the ICN Business School in France. He earned a master’s degree in Social Change from Clark University before going on to Harvard, where he received a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Entrepreneurship from Johns Hopkins University with an emphasis on Human Capital Development and lives in Jacksonville, FL since 2018.
Andy Canales is the Executive Director, Texas at Latinos for Education. Previously, Andy worked as a director at various nonprofit organizations serving students and families. Prior to working in the education nonprofit sector, Andy began his career in education as a teacher in low-income communities in Miami and New York City.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, TEACH, University of Houston-Downtown Advisory Board of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Latino Texas PAC, which he chairs. He’s a Senior American Leadership Forum Fellow (Class XLVII), 2018 Harris County Leadership ISD Fellow, and a 2020 Houston Business Journal 40 under 40 honoree.
With over 50 appearances on local, statewide, and national media, including ABC13 Houston, the Houston Business Journal, Houston Chronicle, Fox26 Houston, NBC News, Univision, Telemundo, Texas Tribune, and USA Today, he is a sought-after commentator on education and civic issues important to Latino students and families.
Andy holds a dual B.A. in Political Science and Religion from Pepperdine University and a Master’s of Science in Education from Hunter College. As the son of Salvadoran immigrants, the first one in his family to graduate from college, and former educator, Andy is passionate about expanding educational equity.
José Coló serves as the Director of Greater Boston Programs at Latinos for Education where he oversees the planning and execution of local programs and services. José is a native of Oaxaca, Mexico. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Spanish Literature from Loyola Marymount and his Ed.M in International Education Policy from Harvard University.
José’s professional experiences as an educator began as a high school teacher in a high needs public school in West Side of Chicago, later serving as Dean of Instruction at Uplift Education High School in North Texas.
José has served as a leader in a number of non-profit organizations, including his role as Educational Director at the National Hispanic Institute. José joined the Latinos for Education team after working with the Boston Debate League where he designed curriculum to make policy more accessible for middle and high school students and teachers.
Samantha Ader serves as Latinos for Education’s Managing Director of People & Organization Effectiveness. In this role, she manages the growing team’s internal operations for the organization to effectively work toward its mission. Samantha brings 10 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and marketing. She also serves as a Board of Education member for her local school district.
Prior to joining Latinos for Education, as Director of Development at Teach For America – South Carolina, she led private sector fundraising and co-led marketing and communications efforts to build the organization’s impact across the state of South Carolina. She has held professional roles with United Way and served as Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Butler University.
She graduated from Indiana University as a Hudson and Holland Scholar and holds her B.A. in Communication and Culture. Samantha currently resides near Chicago with her partner and two children. As the granddaughter of Cuban immigrants, she is driven by her belief in the power of education and works to ensure all children have equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities.
Johana Muriel Grajales serves as the Director of National Strategy and Innovation at Latinos for Education. In this role, she manages the design and implementation of national strategy tied to growth and innovation imperatives to ensure more Latino leaders and entrepreneurs are at the front of closing the education gaps facing the Latino community.
Prior to Latinos for Education, Johana spent six years at City Year Inc. where she worked on several national strategy and growth initiatives focused on expanding City Year to new markets, developing impact strategic plans across all local sites, and supporting the design, development, and spread of innovative school design practices.
Johana was born and raised in Colombia and gained her postsecondary education in Urban and Public Affairs while working with Latino grassroots organizations in Chicago advocating for immigrant rights and providing affordable housing services to low-income families. She moved to Boston in 2011 to participate in a Residency in Social Enterprise (RISE) with New Sector Alliance and learn about nonprofit management by studying Boston’s social impact ecosystem.
Johana’s career has been driven by the belief that if every person is given access to the supports and resources to fulfill their potential, we will be able to address the complex and diverse issues we face as a society.
Sylvia Vieira is the Manager of National Programs. She joined Latinos for Education after working at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard for over 8 years. She was the outreach manager for the Strategic Data Project (SDP) Fellowship, where she managed and executed the recruitment and placement of SDP Data Fellows for partner agencies. Sylvia expanded the fellowship alumni network to develop long-lasting relationships with colleges, universities, nonprofits, and other leaders in the education sector. Prior to her outreach work, Sylvia also coordinated the data collection for several research projects on the topic of teacher effectiveness. She trained site coordinators on the effective administration of student surveys and student assessments. She also co-wrote a chapter on student data privacy for a video observation guide for teachers.
Prior to this role, Sylvia served as a corps member with City Year New York where her work focused on supporting literacy-based in-school and after-school programs, youth leadership, and community transformation of the PS 57 school community in East Harlem. Sylvia earned a bachelor’s degree in Writing from Ithaca College and a master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sylvia was born and raised in the Bronx to proud Colombian parents and is passionate about learning, adult education, and educational equity for all.
Janice Brea is serving as the Associate Director of Family and Community Engagement for the Roxbury Prep network in Boston. She first joined Uncommon Schools in 2012 filling the position of High School and Summer Placement Coordinator at Roxbury Prep’s Mission Hill campus. She left Uncommon in 2014 to work as the Director of Community Engagement at Milton Academy, where she continued to hone her skills in the school’s Community Service and Multicultural Affairs office. She received her B.A. in Public Policy and Law, with a Minor in Urban Studies from Trinity College and her Ed.M. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the Boston University Graduate School of Education.
Janice has 5+years of experience in education which has developed a results – oriented professional approach. She is motivated to build systems that will help improve organizational efficiency and in turn positively affect direct services and their targeted communities. She has a mindset of service and advocacy, along with a personable demeanor that translates to functional soft people skills. In all she does, she adheres to a principle best illustrated by her personal motto: People Matter.
DJ Cervantes is the Director of Partnerships at Transforming Education, where he facilitates a researcher-practitioner partnership with NewSchools Venture Fund. DJ supports schools in assessing MESH (Mindset, Essential Skills and Habits) competencies and school climate to support an expanded definition of student success. He also helps school leaders make sense of the resulting data and coaches them through the process of applying those data to improve school practice. Prior to joining Transforming Education, DJ was the Director of Teacher Leadership Development with Teach For America in Massachusetts and in Buffalo, NY, where he managed a team of teacher coaches and co-led the efforts in improving access to opportunity and outcomes for students in under-resourced schools. DJ began his career as a secondary science teacher in Oakland, CA and also spent a year as Leader In Residence with Phoenix Charter Academy in Lawrence, MA. He holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology from Ohio University in Athens, OH.
Valerie Coimbra was born in Boston to Peruvian and Brazilian immigrant parents. Her Latinidad was a major part of her upbringing despite going to predominantly white schools her entire life. She attended Vanderbilt University and studied Ethnic Studies and Spanish & Portuguese before joining Teach For America in 2013. She moved to Atlanta to teach high school Spanish, and found the first community that ever felt like home. Through four years of teaching, coaching football, soccer, and cheerleading, and running two organizations for Latinx students, her passion and commitment to educational equity truly solidified. She obtained her Master’s degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University in addition to a certificate in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University. In 2017, Valerie moved back to Boston and began working with Teach For America’s national recruitment team where she has worked relentlessly to bring in diverse incoming corps members. She is excited to continue her work this upcoming year and simultaneously lay down stronger roots in Jamaica Plain, where she now resides.
Before entering her new role as Internal Organizer with the Boston Teachers Union, Natalia was a Boston Public Schools history and social studies teacher. As a teacher, Natalia became involved with the New Educator Committee and the Teacher Activist Group of Boston. In each of these groups she helped organize teacher gatherings, including an annual back-to-school BBQ and the annual Boston-area Education for Social Justice conference. Natalia was also involved with the History/Social Studies Committee, Committee on Political Education, Unafraid Educators, and Puerto Rican Educators as a part of the Boston Teacher’s Union.
As a history teacher she was passionate about developing culturally relevant curriculum and elevating student voice through debate, Model UN, and Student Government. In 2018, Natalia received a Boston Educator of the Year Award and the William Spratt Award for Excellence in Teaching Social Studies at the Secondary Level from the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies. In her new role, she is looking forward to reaching and engaging every single Boston Teacher’s Union member in advocating for the schools our students deserve. Natalia earned her B.A. in History and Classics from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Julie Duran was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and moved to Boston, MA to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. Throughout college she worked as a tutor and in her senior year of college she found her real passion and became a teacher. She applied to graduate school and earned her master’s degree in teaching mathematics from Boston University in 2010.
Julie taught grades 9-12 at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School for two years and then moved to work at Boston Prep, a charter school in Hyde Park, MA. She taught for 5 years as an 8th grade math teacher, and two years ago she became the Mathematics Department Chair. As chair, she coaches math teachers, supports the development of standards-aligned curriculum, and advocates for fair and equal education of all students in the school.
Sebastian Gomez is a research assistant at American Institutes for Research. His primary responsibilities include conducting site visits, interviews, focus groups, and observations; performing qualitative data analysis; report writing; entering and managing data; and tracking project progress. He also provides research, analytical, and administrative support to senior staff. He has extensive experience in student advising and program management. Previously, he was a preparation and placement associate at The Steppingstone Foundation where he advised and placed middle school students applying to Boston’s exam and independent schools. He is licensed to teach history in Massachusetts at the 5-12th grade levels. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and literature from Harvard University.
Rebeca Gomez Baez emigrated from Moca, Puerto Rico to Waterbury, CT with her family, as she was entering her freshman year of high school. She participated in the University of Connecticut’s Upward Bound program, which shaped her future and helped set her up to be the first in her family to graduate from college. Upon finishing her BA in History from the University of Connecticut, Rebeca completed two years of service as an AmeriCorps Member through City Year. During this time, Rebeca served as a tutor and mentor to 8th grade students in the Northeast community of Philadelphia. Additionally, Rebeca co-led a team of first year AmeriCorps Members through their year of service.
After completing her service, Rebeca returned to Connecticut where she began working for buildOn as a Service Learning Program Coordinator, then Manager, in Bridgeport and Boston. She established a new partnership in Boston Public Schools and helped develop Service Learning curriculum aimed at engaging high school students in social justice conversations and physical service. Rebeca currently serves as an Impact Manager with City Year, where she has helped establish a new partnership school and has led her team through a successful year. She is dedicated and motivated by the idea of dismantling systems of oppression so that students of color may receive an equitable education.
Gabriela González del Real was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2010 with a dual degree in French and Government. Upon graduation, she moved to Boston to work for MATCH Public Charter Middle School, where she tutored middle school students in English and Math and completed the MATCH Teacher Residency. For the next five years, she taught 7th and 8th grade Reading and Writing at KIPP Academy Lynn in Lynn, Massachusetts. Currently, she is in her 2nd year of teaching 8th grade English Language Arts at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester. In her classes, Gabriela focuses on developing her students’ empathy by building students’ understandings of different perspectives and making connections across texts from diverse sources.
Roberto Jimenez believes education is the most important component of our fight against inequality. He strives to be a voice for populations traditionally underrepresented in college campuses. After growing up in Manati, Puerto Rico, Roberto attended the University of Michigan. There, he completed a BBA and a BA in Informatics. He discovered his interest in higher education while managing a summer program at the University of Koblenz in Germany, then returned to Michigan for an MA in Higher Education. During this time, he worked at Michigan’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions, where he became passionate about advancing equitable college access.
Since graduating in December 2013, Roberto moved to Massachusetts. His first job, at the Harvard Alumni Association, focused on engaging alumni through networking events and public service programs. This work led him to his role as Alumni Coordinator at the Harvard College Admissions Office where he supported Harvard’s team of alumni interviewers, who meet with undergraduate applicants across the country as part of the admissions process. Roberto is now the Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University. He lives in Cambridge with his wife Sarah.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Antonelli migrated to the United States in 2009. He graduated from Boston Public Schools and completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology and Human Resources at Boston College. In 2014, he joined Teach For America where he taught English as a Second Language and served as the Family Engagement Coordinator in the school community of Lynn, MA. He earned a Master’s of Education at Boston University and has collaborated in different projects with nonprofit organizations such as Educators For Excellence, where he co-wrote a research paper titled “Schools That Heal,” which proposed policy recommendations supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of students. He also served as the policy debate coach for the Boston Debate League where he supported students with public speaking, problem-solving and negotiating skills around issues that affect our country.
Antonelli has a passion for working with students and families, particularly those who are recent immigrants to the country and are facing language barriers. Antonelli is also the founder of a nonprofit organization called, Herramientas Del Saber, that aids educational readiness of students in his home country of Dominican Republic. He currently serves as the Lead School Culture Coordinator at UP Academy Network. Most recently, Antonelli was nominated and chosen by Univision, as one of three educators in the country for the “Nuestros Maestros” campaign, sharing his story to inspire other Latinos to pursue careers in education and become leaders in their communities.
David joined Educators for Excellence – Boston as an Outreach Director to elevate the voices of educators across Boston and get teachers involved in writing policies that impact them and students every day in their classrooms. As a classroom teacher in a predominately Latino community, David understands the importance of teacher voice and advocating for equitable policies in education. David first became aware of educational inequities as a high school student when he experienced many undocumented friends not have the opportunity to go to a four-year university. He majored in Liberal Studies and Education at Dominican University of California and graduated in 2014 to become a teacher and ensure students saw someone that looked like him. He taught 5th grade bilingual education in Passaic NJ, through Teacher For America before moving to Boston.
David earned a master’s in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education and co-founded the Men of Color Affinity Group. David is passionate about having a teacher workforce and leadership that will one day represent the diverse students in our schools across Boston and throughout the nation. When not advocating and organizing, David loves watching soccer and basketball, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Paulette Piñero is an experienced non-profit manager, speaker, technical writer, and trainer with a demonstrated history of work in the human service and community development field. With over 13 years of experience in leadership positions in community organizing, education, inter-generational programs, and direct service organizations, Paulette has written and managed millions of dollars in state, federal, and private grants. Previously, Paulette worked on radio, TV, and film production empowering underserved communities by telling their stories through media and then transitioning as a manager for research-focused community programs in Puerto Rico. In 2015 she moved to Massachusetts where she became a fierce advocate for families with children with special needs. This was fueled by her own experience of the evaluation and IEP process with her own son Alexander, and the barriers for Latinx families advocating for service plans for their children.
She is now the Director of Strategy at Jumpstart, a national early education organization, where she focuses on leading the development and execution of field strategies that allow Jumpstart to deepen its impact in current communities and expand their reach into new ones. Paulette earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and has completed several professional certifications in management, leadership, direct service, case management, and mediation. In addition to her educational and professional endeavors, she combines her knowledge of human development, leadership, and personal experience as a Latinx woman to help and coach young women as they leverage their skills and become successful managers.
Steven Ramirez began working in schools while he was still earning his undergraduate degree at Haverford College. Those early experiences profoundly shaped him and set him on a path to work in education, where he was a middle and high school history teacher. Over five years he developed his craft as an educator but ultimately sought to expand the scope of his impact. He worked with several ed-tech startups and technology roles for the next year before attending Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. At Harvard, he focused on developing technical data and finance skills that would help him gain new experiences while working with schools. He went on to work as a consultant at Education Resource Strategies and experienced the technical and difficult decisions districts face in educating our youth, but was more inspired by work that sought to make the greatest of impact on our students of color. He previously worked for Boston Public Schools as the Director of Instructional Strategy for ASSET, the academic and student support departments for the district and am working to improve the quality and increase the access of BPS’ best opportunities. Steven is now serving as an education consultant.
Lilliam Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and later moved to Boston. As a first-generation college graduate, she has demonstrated immense perseverance through her journey. Lilliam serves as the Special Projects Coordinator at KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School. In this role, she leads the efforts to solve problems from outside of the classroom so students and teachers succeed inside of the classroom. Prior to this role, she served as the Special Projects Coordinator at KIPP Academy Boston and as the Executive Assistant at KIPP Massachusetts.
Lilliam studied at Northeastern University where she majored in International Affairs and Human Services. While at Northeastern, she served as a mentor through LEAD (Linking Education and Diversity) to BPS students preparing to head onto college. She became a member of Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, which is currently the only Latina oriented sorority on Northeastern’s campus. She also studied in Eastern Europe traveling through the Balkans while learning about conflict resolution and studied in Zambia while doing an internship at a nonprofit focused on raising awareness on the harmful use of drugs. Lilliam continues to be involved as an alumna at Bottom Line and Summer Search which supported her through high school and beyond. Summer Search was built on the idea that all young people should have the chance to soar, regardless of their circumstance. This idea is what drives Lilliam in her work today.
Danny Rojas serves as Founding Director of Post-Secondary Partnerships for OneGoal Massachusetts. OneGoal is a national, teacher-led, movement that focuses on increasing the college graduation rates of students from first-generation, low-income communities. Danny came to OneGoal after helping to pioneer a district-wide initiative in Houston, Texas called EMERGE, a non-profit that supports high-performing students from under-served backgrounds in gaining admission into highly selective colleges and universities nationwide. He is a first-generation college graduate from Central Falls, RI with a BA from Northeastern University, and an M.Ed. from the University of Houston in Higher Education Administration/Supervision. Danny is most passionate about increasing the college graduation rate in Massachusetts by creating effective partnerships with institutions of higher education and peer organizations in the Massachusetts region.
Stacey Rosario was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts. As a first-generation Dominican-American and Afro-Latina, she is very proud of her Dominican culture and Hispanic heritage. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Stacey is an alumna of Teach For America and has a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University. For the past three years, she has worked at UP Academy Oliver in her hometown of Lawrence, serving a predominantly Dominican population. Stacey serves the Boston community as an ESL Teacher at ENLACE Newcomer Academy. She has a passion for education and breaking down the barriers that impede students from having quality teachers.
Ivette Rubio is an educator and activist born and raised in Los Angeles who strives to achieve educational equity. For the past 3 years, she has worked as the 6th grade Science Teacher at Neighborhood House Charter School. Ivette is passionate about creating opportunities that support an equitable education for all, especially for communities that too often are left out of the conversation or do not have access to resources to attain their goals.
Prior to teaching, Ivette pursued her passion in various roles while an undergraduate student. She was the Co-State Captain for Students for Education Reform (SFER) California chapters where she led and supported college students in becoming advocates for educational justice. Ivette also mentored high school students from predominantly Latino communities, guiding them and their families through the college application process. She tutored students at Homework House, a free after-school program for local students. Ivette also worked for the Center for Engagement with Communities (CEC) Office at Whittier College as CEC Standiford Poet Fellow where she organized a conference in collaboration with school districts and the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce to inform high school students about the college application process. Ivette holds a B.A. in Child Development from Whittier College and a M.Ed in Elementary Education from Boston College as a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar.
Arlene’s family migrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the early 1990’s. When they first arrived to the States, She was one of 7. Their reasons for migrating were typical – they yearned for the “American Dream” and an education system unlike their own in the motherland. A lifelong Bostonian, Arlene attended Boston Public Schools as a child and returned to them as a teacher in 2013. At UP Academy and Gardner Pilot Academy, she focused on using literature to instill confidence and empathy in her students and worked to increase representation of teachers of color in the school system.
In 2015, her culturally responsive approach earned her national attention in Teach For America’s One Day magazine. As a Navigator, she helps Boston families and students understand the school landscape and achieve their educational goals. Arlene is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole and holds a BA in Sociology and Portuguese & Brazilian Studies from Smith College and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from BU.
Yinnette Sano serves as Excel Academy’s Director of Diversity and Inclusivity and prior to this role, she was one of Excel’s Directors of Post-Secondary Support. Before joining Excel, Yinnette worked as a Senior Program Trainer at The Posse Foundation, and at the New World Foundation-COIN Scholarship Program as a COIN Scholar mentor.
While attending graduate school Yinnette became an Education Pioneer and worked at Boston Public School headquarters in the New Teacher Training Office and at Boston College in the Student Programs Office. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.
Ivanna Solano was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States when she was seven years old. She graduated from American University, where she majored in Justice and Law. Due to her upbringing and cultural context, she identifies as an advocate for social justice. Because of her deep love of learning, she chose teaching as her platform for social justice work, which led her to Teach for America Massachusetts. Ivanna began her journey in education at UP Academy Holland as a kindergarten and third grade teacher. She is currently a Manager, Teacher Leadership Development at Teach for America where she supports new teachers in improving their practice and leadership skills.
Jessica Tellez is a Program Manager at YouthBuild USA where she supports 260+ locally operated programs so youth aged 16 to 24 can complete their high school diploma equivalency and develop the critical academic, work-readiness, and leadership skills needed to pursue a post-secondary education and a viable career.
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Jessica is proud of her family’s Mexican roots and finds beauty in the unique blend of Latino cultures found in metro Boston. After completing a year-long term as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2014, Jessica became a member of the Junior League of Boston’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, serves as an Area Facilitator for Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity, and is a recent graduate of Emerge Massachusetts’ Campaign Manager Training Program. In addition, she is a BIA accredited immigration representative, providing free legal consultation and representation to immigrants in Massachusetts. Jessica is a first-generation college graduate, holding a B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Chicano Studies, from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Loris Toribio is the founding Early College Coordinator for Lawrence Public Schools. In 2017, she launched Lawrence High School’s Early College Program, which provides juniors and seniors the opportunity to take free college courses by integrating Northern Essex Community College and Merrimack College classes into their high school experience. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Loris grew up in Lawrence and considers it her hometown. In 2014, Loris joined Teach for America and taught middle school science at UP Academy Oliver, which is located in the neighborhood where she grew up. While at UP Oliver, Loris served co-chair of the UP Education Network’s Diversity Taskforce and lead a committee of network leaders in developing guidelines for creating pathways to leadership for homegrown educators.
As a teacher, Loris served as the lead curriculum planner for the 8th grade science department and lead an after-school coding enrichment class. In 2017, she was awarded the Biogen Award for Excellence in Teaching. Loris spent her April breaks teaching at the Acceleration Academies in Lawrence and her summers teaching neuroscience to rising 6th graders at the Achieve Program at the Noble and Greenough School. She now serves on their Young Professionals Board. Prior to teaching, Loris was a Program Manager for Let’s Get Ready, an SAT prep and college access program for low-income students. Loris holds a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University.
Sebastián Villa Bahamón is originally from Chicago and proudly identifies as a first generation American whose parents hail from Colombia, South America. Before settling in Boston, he studied and received a Bachelor’s Degree in History at Loyola University Chicago and concentrated his work around addressing the implications of toxic masculinity for young self-identifying men. Eager to continue his commitment to social justice work, Sebastián moved to North Carolina to serve as an immigration paralegal but felt drawn back to his passion for educational equity and the ability to support young people in their personal and professional journey. Currently, he is the Career Services Manager at City Year Boston, a role that is responsible for the professional development of the site’s 289 AmeriCorps Members.
Perla Vitela is a high school English as a Second Language teacher in Dorchester, MA. She was born in Michoacán, Mexico and grew up in Woodbridge, VA. Growing up in the booming diversity of Prince William County, VA prompted her desire to pursue a career working with immigrants. She is a first generation college graduate and received her Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs and Sociology from the University of Virginia and a Master of Education from Boston University. While at UVA, Perla organized and hosted Latino cultural, social, and academic events for the Charlottesville community as the Events Chair for the Spanish-language dormitory. Additionally, she served as a recruitment contact for prospective Latino students and students from low-income families. She became a 2014 Teach for America Corps Member to teach ELLs and be part of a larger movement helping immigrant students attain a quality education.
From New Bedford to Boston, Perla has taught in a wide range of settings including district-run, charter, and technical-vocational schools. She began working at an all-ELL school during the 2018-2019 school year. Perla has served students across various English language proficiencies, most of whom have arrived to the U.S. within the past 1-2 years. As a daughter of immigrants herself, Perla feels a great sense of responsibility and pride to work with this population. She uses the classroom space and builds curricula to not only foster students’ learning the English language, but also to reflect on their identity and role in society.
Lorena Lopera is Executive Director, New England at Latinos for Education.
Throughout her career, Lorena has dedicated over 10 years leveraging relationships to resource quality educational opportunities for youth and families. Previously, Lorena served as Director of Development at BES, a national organization focused on school leadership formation. Prior to her work with BES, Lorena worked as Chief of Staff at City Year, Miami. There she oversaw finances, personnel and operations for an organization providing academic support to over 5,000 children across Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Beforehand, Lorena worked on cultivating corporate philanthropy and individual donors with the Posse Foundation and Epiphany School. She started her career in education working as a community organizer at Sociedad Latina in Mission Hill.
Lorena graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Hispanic Studies. She is a first-generation immigrant from Colombia who knows how much hard work, resilience, and support goes into simply finding the right opportunities for success. Through this work, Lorena wants to ensure that students, educators, and families can move beyond fighting for access and focus on creating impact. She is a proud Boston Public Schools Parent and current Co-Chair of the Hurley K-8 School Site Council. She currently serves on the board for EdVestors. Lorena believes patience, cooperation, hard work and a passion to provide quality education for youth and families help build strong communities and future opportunities. Lorena lives in Boston with her spouse and two children.
Andrea Aguilera is a State Program Coordinator for Teach Plus. In this capacity, she manages recruitment and selection and supports the Teaching Policy Fellowship in states across the country, with a focus on Nevada and Texas. Andrea joined Teach Plus after working at the College Board as a graduate fellow on the Global Policy & External Relations Team analyzing federal policy and impact on funding programs at the state level. Previously, Andrea managed the recruitment team for KIPP Houston public schools, where she was responsible for strategy and operations for teacher and leadership recruitment. Her journey in education policy began as a Teach for America corps member teaching middle school English language development in Denver. Andrea holds a BS from The University of Texas and a MPAff from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.
Jacqueline Beas is beginning her fifth year as an assistant principal in the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Her love for teaching blossomed early on, and she served as a tutor to her peers and elementary children throughout her high school years. She moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas at Austin where she earned a bachelor’s degree in applied learning and development. She moved back to Houston and began her teaching career as a bilingual teacher. After five years, Jacqueline accepted the position of a math skills specialist at her own school. Stepping outside of the classroom allowed her to understand the impact school leaders can have on students and teachers. She decided to attend the University of Houston where she earned her master’s in leadership and supervision. After three years as a skills specialist, Jacqueline accepted the position of assistant principal at her school. Jacqueline’s passion for educating Latinos stems from her own childhood. She attended inner-city schools and grew up with limited resources. It was her teachers who inculcated in her the value of education. Because of educators who motivated her along the way, she was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She is currently an assistant principal at the same school she attended in her elementary years. Her mission is to inspire teachers and students to live up to their full potential.
Jose C. Bolivar joined education as a Teach for America 2014 Denver Corps member. He started his career teaching 2nd grade in Montebello, east side of Denver. After Teach for America, Jose continued his career by joining KIPP Houston High School. At KIPP he has taught Composition 10, Composition 11, Minority Studies and now he is in his current role of College Counselor and Grade Level Chair. He has served as a Cycling Team Coach, Chess Club Advisor, Gay-Straight Club Advisor, LGBTQ Faculty Liaison, and Summer School Coordinator. Jose is a committed educator driven to provide a dynamic learning environment where all students succeed, with a particular emphasis in serving English language learners and SPED students. He has been successful in integrating technology in the classroom as a tool of differentiation and “real-world” curriculum connections. He has created a curriculum following a project-based learning approach, merging rigorous academic standards and 21st century skills. His belief in effective pedagogy rooted in social justice provides each student with character development and transformative educational growth. He is graduate from the University of St. Thomas-Houston and the Johns Hopkins University.
Hilda Elizondo grew up and began her career in the small South Texas town of Beeville. From a young age, she enjoyed interacting with and helping students with disabilities. While attending community college, Hilda was hired as a permanent substitute with St. Mary’s Academy Charter School. Her main priority was to supervise and shadow a student with special needs. This position further fueled her passion for helping and advocating for our most vulnerable population. At St. Mary’s Academy Charter School, Hilda served special needs students as a paraprofessional while pursuing her undergraduate degree, continuing as a special education teacher there for six years while working towards her graduate degree. After graduate school, she proudly served as an educational diagnostician in the South Texas area for five years. Hilda’s tireless efforts to advocate for and improve the quality of education for students with disabilities afforded her the opportunity to work for the Texas Education Agency as a program specialist in the Division of Review and Support. She works daily with the most talented educators in the state to develop the new Differentiated Monitoring System. As a first-generation college student, she has personally experienced the impact that a quality education can have on the individual, their family, and the community. Her goals for the future are to continue to spread that message while pursuing her doctorate in the field of education.
Myrla was born and raised in Roma, a small town in South Texas along the Rio Grande River with a population of about nine thousand and a majority Hispanic. She is a graduate of Roma High School and attained a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas RGV. She began her teaching career in South Texas, teaching middle school math and science at both district and charter schools. She transitioned to leadership where she had the opportunity to support the launch of a Pre-K pilot that has since been replicated across districts and regions to 18+ schools. Becoming a school leader was her goal and passion and pushed her to focus her efforts on closing literacy gaps, when only 18% of her 2nd grade students were reading on grade level during her founding school year. Myrla is passionate about ensuring equal access to a quality education for students and ensuring families are included and a part of the conversation. She wanted to have a larger impact and reach more students and families and transitioned to TNTP as a Leadership Coach. In her current role she gets to support school districts coach and develop instructional leaders to improve teacher pipeline, retention, and increased student achievement by placing quality teachers in every classroom. She has also worked with Texas Districts and TEA to increase the focus on improving quality, access, and kinder readiness for early childhood programs in districts.
Fernanda Flores-Bolivar is serving as Principal at Orange Grove Elementary in Aldine ISD. She first joined Aldine ISD in 2006 when she came from Mexico City as a Bilingual Teacher to work at Stephens Elementary. She left not only her country, but she changed her career to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher and make a difference in the lives of Latinos. She became Assistant Principal at Carroll Elementary in 2015. Fernanda has 13 years of experience in education which has allowed her to be a role model to bilingual students and teachers. She believes that students need to see successful bilingual professionals. She believes in the power of education to break cycles of poverty, and wants to be the leader that promotes that change. She is a proud, successful, Mexican and bilingual women promoting education within a community that has left their countries in pursuit of the “American Dream”.
Daniela Licona earned a B.A. in Educational Psychology while living in Yucatan, Mexico. It was there she began to directly support the academic advancement of students in under developed communities by founding, Skola, an education development center. She created a strength-based approach to assessment which allowed her and the team to provide targeted remediation for the students. Daniela began working more directly with students with disabilities and their families as an educational psychologist at Piaget Education Center, which allowed her additional professional growth. She participated in decision making related to the educational systems at the center, assessment for individuals with disabilities and teacher supervision. The opportunities in Mexico allowed her the experience of working with students from all ages and their families. Currently she serves in the Office of Special Populations and Monitoring at the Texas Education Agency and recently earned her Master’s Degree on Science in Leadership and Change.
Daniel Lopez is tasked with leading the selective college advising and coaching efforts for high school seniors across 46 high schools as a senior manager for the EMERGE program within Houston ISD. EMERGE empowers and prepares high-performing youth from underserved communities to attend and graduate from the nation’s top colleges and universities. Daniel’s journey into the education space began with his service as a Teach For America corps member where he served as a 8th grade English teacher in Spring Branch ISD. His professional growth and perspective on school district functions also grew with his election and service as the at-large representative for the Spring Branch District Improvement Team. Daniel graduated from Boston University in 2013 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science. He originally hails from San Bernardino, California. Daniel is passionate about creating access and breaking down barriers which hinder first-generation, low income students from matriculating to selective colleges.
Maria began her career in education and community relations at Money Management International (MMI), as the Texas Regional Director of Education and Community Relations. Following four years of service at MMI, Maria began working with the Houston Center for Literacy, where she trained and coached over one-hundred literacy providers in the Great Houston area. In 2014 Maria joined YES Prep Public Schools as the Family Engagement Specialist. In this role she had the unique opportunity to develop a districtwide plan for all family engagement strategic initiatives related to after-school programming to support students and their families in four key component areas: Academics, Enrichment, College/Workforce Readiness and Family Support Services. The impact of her work at YES Prep, has kept Maria deeply engaged in the critical work of eliminating education inequity by creating opportunities to support student achievement in and outside the classroom. In her current role as program director, Maria leads ten campuses with development and implementation of after-school programming. In this role, Maria also leads YES’s effort to build a robust network of community partnerships to strengthen program capacity and sustainability. Maria holds a B.A. in Communications from Stephen F. Austin State University. She and her husband, Jose, have two daughters, Emma (3) and Camila (6).
Rachel Martinez is the Principal at Spring Shadows Elementary in Spring Branch ISD in Houston, TX. In this role, she ensures each student is provided with a holistic educational experience that will equip youth with the tools for becoming successful. She believes students can develop academically, think critically, lead purposefully, and make healthy and responsible decisions. As an educational leader, she has served as a bilingual teacher, district Bilingual Specialist, Response to Intervention Specialist, Assistant Principal, and she is currently entering her sixth year as Principal. Rachel was born in the Rio Grande Valley and moved to Houston in her adolescence. She became the first college graduate in her family after completing Houston Community College and then transferring to Texas A&M in Corpus Christi, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Science. She attained her Master’s degree from Texas A&M-College Station in 2009 and upon finishing that degree enrolled as a doctoral student at Texas A&M-College Station. She believes in all children having access to a promising journey toward achieving their dreams.
Franco Martinez is a Scholar Relations Coordinator with The Terry Foundation, the largest private source of scholarships in the State of Texas. Through this position, Franco works directly with scholarship recipients and university staff at several public universities in Texas in order to enhance student support and development of the Terry Scholarship Program. He is passionate about prominent issues in higher education and has contributed to research publications regarding college affordability, educational persistence, access, undocumented students, and community college infrastructure. Franco was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and he grew up in east Houston, graduating from HISD in 2005. Despite being undocumented, Franco attended the University of Houston with full scholarships, graduating with a bachelor’s in Math Education in 2010, as well as a master’s in Higher Education Administration and Supervision in 2013. Franco also became a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2013. This enabled him to continue his work as a Student Development Specialist, Academic Adviser, and Scholarship Administrator for The Honors College at the University of Houston. He then transitioned into his current role with The Terry Foundation in 2016.
Alejandro Martinez is a Wraparound Resource Specialist for Houston Independent School District. In his role, he ensures the non-academic needs of students are being met. This entails fostering healthy relationships with the community he serves. Alejandro supports critical issues of students including mental and physical health needs, food insecurity, stable housing, violence, parent incarceration, and things that adversely affect their ability to learn. Alejandro was born and raised in the East End of Houston, a predominantly Latino community. He received his Associates in Arts degree from Houston Community College. He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentration in Communication Studies, Psychology and Creative Writing, from the University of Houston Downtown. He is a former United States Coast Guard Reserve. He is also a member of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Incorporated.
Brenda Menchaca is a Literacy Specialist at Baker Ripley’s Promise Community Schools. She was born in Livingston, Texas and raised in the Aldine area of Houston. Upon high school graduation, she attended the University of Texas at Austin to study Journalism and Mexican American Studies with the goal of attending law school. Through her Mexican American Studies courses, she learned about the Latino educational pipeline and found a passion for making a positive change through education. She began her teaching career through the Teach for America program in Dallas ISD teaching bilingual second grade. After her two year commitment in Dallas, she decided to go back home to Houston and work down the street from her childhood home. She taught at an engineering magnet school for 5 years where she taught second and third grade and became the K-4 Math Skills Specialist. During her involvement with the Organizing Network of Educators Houston, she advocated for immigrant students and wrap around school services and found her mission aligned to the mission of the Baker Ripley nonprofit organization. After her first year of working with Baker Ripley she became a Literacy Specialist on the district’s Instructional Leadership Team. As a Literacy Specialist, she coaches reading and writing teachers Kindergarten – 6th grade, supports the development of standards-aligned curriculum, creates assessments, builds a school literacy culture, and ensures all ELL students are receiving a fair and equal education. Baker Ripley is located in the Gulfton area, the most diverse area in Houston where she teaches and works with students from over 20 different countries. As a daughter of immigrants herself, she feels passionately about working with this student demographic and providing them with a high quality education that will lead them to become advocates for their community.
Nicholas Palomino Mendoza is the Director of Educator Leadership and Engagement at Teach For America Houston. He just finished his fifth year as the 8th grade ELA teacher at KIPP Liberation in Third Ward, Houston where he was humbled to also serve as soccer, volleyball and football coach, grade level chair, content chair, district curriculum writer and district content lead. Nicholas is Mexican-American, born and raised on the Southside of Chicago and has had the pleasure of working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles as an artist manager. He attended Arizona State University, where he studied the archaeology of the United States Southwest and Mesoamerica and graduated with a degree in Anthropology. Nicholas began his journey in education as a 2014 Teach For America Houston Corps Member and has worked at TFA Institute every summer since. To date, Nicholas has contributed to the training and preparation of almost 300 Houston Corps Members (60% of the entire corps since 2015) as a corps member advisor, curriculum specialist, and most recently a school director. Additionally, in his 5 years at KIPP Liberation, Nicholas has supported his students to the highest (or second highest) tiered reading growth in the KIPP national network of almost 100,000 kids–twice! Nicholas’ approach to Culturally Responsive Pedagogy & his vision for community-responsive leadership are at the root of all he does.
Dulce Negreros is currently a KIPP Fisher Fellow for KIPP Texas-Houston serving the role as a founding school principal, where she will be opening a 6-12 campus in southwest Houston in the 2020-2021 school year. Prior to this new role, she served as the 12th grade assistant principal at KIPP Northeast College Prep (KNCP) in Houston. Before joining the team at KNCP, she spent 3 years at KIPP Houston High School where she served as the dean of culture, science department chair, and assistant principal and 3 years at KIPP Austin Collegiate, where she taught biology and AP biology and also served on the leadership team as an assistant principal. Dulce’s passion for education started during her two years as a Teach For America corps member at Sharpstown High School in Houston Independent School District. Dulce is excited to move into her 7th year at KIPP and 9th year in education. She graduated with a degree in neurobiology from The University of Texas at Austin and a masters in administration and supervision from the University of Houston.
Ahimé Ornelas is an Assistant Principal for James Bowie Elementary in Goose Creek CISD. She was born in Matamoros, Mexico and immigrated to the United States as a young child and is a resident of Baytown, TX. She attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and became a bilingual teacher for Goose Creek CISD to serve the students in her community. In 2010, she received Master’s of Science degree in Educational Leadership in education at University of Houston Clear Lake. For the last 15 years, she has served the school district in various leadership positions. These opportunities have provided a variety of experiences in the areas of supervision, campus administration, professional development, strategic planning, teacher coaching, program development, curriculum and assessment writing, testing coordination, state compliance and data analysis. Ms. Ornelas has also been an active member of the Hispanic Education Access and Completion Committee of Lee College for the last 20 years. This committee promotes enrollment in higher education and the completion of degrees and certificates through different community events. Her passion is to provide all students in her school community with opportunities to grow emotionally and academically so that they may succeed in life.
Sandra Nuñez serves as the Director of Districts at EMERGE in Houston where she leads the high school program teams in Spring ISD and Spring Branch ISD. As a first-generation college graduate, she feels personally connected to EMERGE’s mission of helping high-performing students from underserved communities attend and graduate from selective colleges and university across the country. Sandra is a proud native of Mexico City and El Paso, TX. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Sandra began her career in education as a 2007 Teach For America corps member in the Rio Grande Valley. Sandra believes deeply in the power of education to transform communities.
Romaira E. Rodriguez was born and raised in Venezuela. After high school she had the opportunity to come to the United States. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Harding University. After graduating, she moved to Houston where she worked with an oil and gas company for five years. After this experience, she decided to change careers and enrolled in the Houston ISD Alternative Certification Program to get certified as a Bilingual Teacher. She also obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and certified as a Principal with Sam Houston State University. She has fourteen years of teaching experience and two years as a Title I coordinator with bilingual and dual language programs within the district. She is a collaborative participant at her school with team meetings, parent conferences, school committees, translator, mentor to aspiring teachers and field trips coordination.
Xochitl Salazar is heavily focused on increasing student academic achievement through the strategic allocation of state and federal funding. She has a strong background in state and federal finance, curriculum development and policy implementation as well as project management and diverse communications skills. Xochitl is the Coordinator of Federal Programs and Special Grants at Tomball ISD. She directly trains, supports and leads the district on federal programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization: Every Student Succeeds Act (formerly known as No Child Left Behind Act). These programs includes Title I, Part A, Improving Basic Programs; Title II, Part A, Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting; Title III, Part A English Language Acquisition; and Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment. Furthermore, she oversees the compliance and finance aspects of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). Prior to Tomball ISD, Xochitl worked in the External Funding Department at Houston ISD where she worked directly with the 258 Title I campuses and led the districtwide summer program. Xochitl is pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Finance and International Business from the University of St. Thomas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Broadcast Journalism Bachelor’s degree. Xochitl graduated from the Acceler8 Cohort #1 and serves as the Secretary and Marketing Director for the Graduate Growth Group, a non-profit geared toward assisting small business with turnaround and growth strategies. She also serves as a lifetime member of the Texas Exes Alumni Association. Previously, she served as the Community Relations and Marketing Director for Prospanica Houston.
Yoali Salgado was born and raised in Houston, TX. Yoali graduated from Brown University, where she double majored in Sociology and Ethnic Studies. After graduating, Yoali completed a term of service with AmeriCorps at College Forward, where she served as a College Access Coach. During her term, she advised juniors in high school to prepare them for the college application process. After this position, she joined DiscoverU as a Program Associate, where she helped connect underserved high school students to summer learning opportunities. She then joined Genesys Works as a Program Coordinator, where she supported seniors in high school as they navigated a corporate internship throughout the school year. After two years, she was promoted to her current role as Data and Program Evaluation Specialist. She now works on tracking long-term and short-term outcomes for her organization, and works on projects to improve overall programming.
Mariel is the Senior Program Manager at Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR), where she is responsible for driving program innovation, growth and evaluation. At PAIR, she developed and oversees Global Scholars, a mentoring and case management program that supports refugee students in their paths toward high school graduation and access to post-secondary education. Prior to joining PAIR, Mariel worked as case manager and legal representative at the YMCA International Services. Her cases involved immigration relief for victims of crime, asylum seekers, DACA, and family reunification for refugees and other low-income immigrants. Mariel graduated from The Fletcher School at Tufts University with a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. She has nearly 10 years of professional experience with nonprofit organizations in Houston and abroad, including direct services, program management, communications, curriculum development, and monitoring and evaluation. Originally from Mexico, Mariel moved to the U.S. as a freshman in high school. Her personal experience navigating new school environments and overcoming language barriers shaped her interest in education and migration issues, as well as her passion for working with others who are new to this country. Mariel is committed to advancing equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of their background, and supporting youth to become leaders in their communities.
Nadine Tavera is a Project Manager at BakerRipley’s Workforce Solutions where she oversees the expansion of Workforce Solutions career offices in the Greater Houston Area. Prior to this role, Nadine worked in Disaster Recovery where she helped Hurricane Harvey survivors rebuild their homes by managing the operations for the Home Restoration Program at the Agency. Nadine is a proud native Houstonian and attended the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance in Spring 2013. She graduated with high distinction honors and became the first in her family to graduate from a four-year university. Nadine is passionate about bringing opportunities for success to Latino students and is an alumna of the SEO Career Program and the HACU National Internship Program where she has recruited students to help build a more diverse future workforce. She is currently a member of the historic LULAC Council 60 where she actively serves in her community.
Bobby Treviño was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He graduated from Boston University in 2005 with his B.A. and in 2009 with his M.Ed. As a student at BU, he assisted the admissions office with various multicultural recruitment efforts which naturally led to him working with the Office of Admissions as the Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment. In this role, he dedicated his time to increasing access to BU which included improving recruitment efforts for Black and Latino students, staff training, event planning, and cross campus collaboration. In 2011, he moved to Houston, TX to work for YES Prep Public Schools as the Director of College Counseling at YES Prep Southeast and transitioned to the same role at YES Prep Northside in 2018. As the DCC, he manages a team of college counselors and seminar teachers to ensure that students have the knowledge and skills to make a choice on their post-secondary pathway in addition to developing a strong campus college-going culture. He also serves as a school administrator and as a District College Readiness Leader coaching new DCCs from other campuses. After nearly 10 years in college access, he remains passionate about helping students and families navigate the college process and ultimately develop a sense of belonging in a society that may tell them otherwise. He lives in Houston with his wife and 3 lovely children.
Ariana was born in Mexico City, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of four. She is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who obtained her B.A. in Sociology from Sonoma State University in Northern California. While an undergraduate student at Sonoma State, she co-founded the first AB540 support group for undocumented students, which provided a safe space and resources for this student population. Four years later, Ariana returned to her alma mater as an Academic Advisor for the School of Science & Technology, undeclared students, and helped establish the creation of the UndocuResource Center. Her experience as a first generation, college graduate and bilingual and bicultural practitioner allowed her to help students define their next steps for successful retention and graduation. These experiences were pivotal in helping her realize she wanted to continue expanding opportunities for underrepresented students, especially undocumented students in higher education. Ariana continues to advocate for the immigrant community by sharing her story for media outlets like Univision and the 2018 Women’s March in San Francisco for the passing of comprehensive immigration reform for all 11 million undocumented immigrants residing and working in the U.S. Ariana moved to Cambridge, MA in 2018 and recently completed the Higher Education Program from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). She currently works at HGSE and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in the near future, so she can continue making a difference in her community and beyond.
Cesar Batista was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts to parents from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. As the oldest of four siblings Cesar was the first in his family to receive a Bachelor’s Degree. In 2013 he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English as well as minors in Education and Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, Cesar worked as a tutor and Teaching Resident at Match Middle School in Jamaica Plain, MA. It was during this year of service that Cesar fell in love with his passion for education and led him to go back to his hometown and work as a middle school English Teacher at UP Academy Leonard. In 2015 after completing his two years as a resident, Cesar received a Master’s Degree in Effective Teaching from the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education. For the past five years Cesar has worked as not only an English Teacher at UP Academy Leonard, but has also worked as an online tutor for exchange students, instructional coach through the Sposato Graduate School of Education, and has been an ESOL instructor to adults at the Adult Learning Center in Lawrence. Cesar has a passion for building his students’ confidence, skill sets, and character regardless of the barriers that have been historically placed on students of color to impair their successes.
Vicmarys Brito grew up in a Dominican household in Boston, MA. After graduating from John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science in 2011, she attended College of the Holy Cross where she earned a BA in History with a concentration in Latino and Latin American Studies and Women and Gender’s studies.
In 2015 she joined Teach For America and taught at Roxbury Preparatory High School where she created curriculum for Spanish 1, Spanish 2 and Spanish for Native Speakers.
She earned an M.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University. Currently, Vicmarys is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Spanish Department and the AP Spanish teacher at Brooke High School. In her current role, she coaches and supports teachers in creating an immersive world language experience in their classrooms. Vicmarys also supports students’ academic achievement running Saturday Academy and homework detention.
Katie was born in El Salvador and has lived in a variety of places including Rochester New York, Los Angeles and Boston. She has been a teacher in urban spaces for over thirteen years within various teaching and leadership roles. Currently she is a specialist and ESL teacher at the Perry K-8 school within Boston Public Schools. She takes pride in working with girls in a STE(A)M program she helped co-create called the SheSharks, which places an emphasis on exposing girls and young women to careers in STEM while exploring positive cultural identity. Katie has studied at various universities including Emerson College, Bay Path University and most recently Tufts University where she also served as the Special Rights Coordinator for the Eliot Pearson Children’s School from 2018-2019. Katie has a Ed.S in education with an emphasis on special education. She continues to be involved in the social justice movement and exploring cultural responsive teaching. This includes being part of the Hip Hop Education movement, and working with Latino youth through Sociedad Latina during this past summer.
Ramiro reflected on the impact of education as early as high school. He saw first-hand how access to opportunities varied depending on the schools he attended. Appreciative of the many opportunities he accessed at IDEA Public Schools in Donna, TX, Ramiro went back to teach 8th grade History for two years after completing a degree in Political Science and Economics. Afterward, he moved Boston, MA with his wife and taught at the Margarita Muñiz Academy, Boston’s only bilingual high school. Currently, Ramiro works as an Associate for the District Management Group where he supports school districts across the country address their most pressing concerns.
Daisy Hidalgo works as a Paralegal/Intake Coordinator at Boston College Legal Services LAB. Her law firm provides pro bono legal services to low-income clients in need of assistance with housing, family and immigration issues. Daisy also assists 70 law students each semester and supports seven faculty members/lawyers at LAB. Outside of her full-time job, Daisy is part of Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. Daisy previously lived in Minneapolis, MN, where she grew up and attended college at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus. She worked for a small immigration law firm, and continued to volunteer with Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES). During her time at CLUES, Daisy participated in the Paso a Paso Program where she volunteered as an after-school English/Spanish teacher with children ages 3-5, she also assisted in their legal department helping with intake. Daisy aims to continue advocating for Latinx communities. As a first generation college graduate, she understands how difficult it is to navigate through the college process, and she hopes future Latinx students will receive the support they need to navigate various professional settings.
Leslie Jiménez is a student in the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program and a RIDES Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Prior to HGSE, Leslie served in diverse leadership roles, including Instructional Lead Teacher, Administrator, and Director in Compton, Los Angeles, San Jose and Oakland, California in both charter and district organizations and across the K-12 spectrum. In each of these leadership roles, Leslie focused on improving the academic outcomes for traditionally underserved student populations, including low-income, English Learners, Latinx, African American, and Special Education students. Through her expertise in community engagement, she centered the perspectives and feedback of the myriad of school stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, school leaders, central office staff, and district and county board members. Leslie is a first-generation Mexican American from Compton, California and holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Education Policy and Administration from Loyola Marymount University. As an aspiring superintendent, Leslie is passionate about learning how to create systemic change that will lead to increased equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students, specifically those from traditionally underserved backgrounds.
Natasha Lopez is the Manager of College Counseling and Programs in Boston Public Schools. As an educator, Natasha is experienced in helping underserved middle school, high school and college students navigate college access opportunities. In addition, she works with students to prepare them for admission to a college that meets their academic and social needs and become equipped with the skills to successfully graduate from college. As a first generation student from New York City, Natasha’s passion is to increase college graduation rates among students from low-income backgrounds. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a concentration in Global and Regional studies from Babson College (cum laude) and a Master of Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Natasha is an avid traveler and enjoys salsa dancing, spending time with her dog and trying new cuisines.
Born in Boston, David is the son of two Boricua parents: one an educator born in Puerto Rico and the other a police officer from the Villa Victoria in the South End. He grew ever more aware as a young person the need for equitable education. Upon graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Gordon College, he went on to teach in Camden, New Jersey for five years as a Math and English as a Second Language instructor. As an educator, David became intimately aware of inequalities within the education system. His students inspired him to learn more about the systems that created unnecessary roadblocks for his students. While teaching, he attended Temple University, where he received his M.Ed. in Urban Education with an Education Policy specialization. He grew more and more interested in impacting education through addressing issues in his hometown, Boston. David joined Educators for Excellence as an Outreach Director because he felt a strong desire to work for equity in education in his home city. He truly believes that teachers should have the chance to engage in policy in order to positively impact lasting change in the classroom. As an Outreach Director, David loves connecting people around the city and creating spaces for teachers voices to be elevated in policy discussion.
Katheryne is a proud daughter of Salvadoran immigrants from Los Angeles, California. She transferred from Los Angeles Valley College to the University of California, Berkeley and moved to Massachusetts last year to pursue her Master of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which she earned this past spring. Currently, she is the Associate for College Access & Success for La Vida Scholars, where she works with youth in Lynn who are pursuing higher education. Katheryne is passionate about supporting first-generation, low-income students of color—particularly those who attended community colleges and come from immigrant communities— envision themselves at institutions of higher education. She hopes to continue her studies and earn a doctoral degree researching structural inequalities that lead to and perpetuate barriers to post-secondary education for students like her.
Gisella Mendizabal, MA LICSW is the Training and Access Project (TAP) Consultant at the Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships Program (BCHNP). TAP is BCHNP’s newest initiative, launched in 2015. It offers high quality professional development and consultation services to Boston schools to help build capacity to address students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health needs. BCHNP’s main goals are to increase access to children’s behavioral health services in urban communities, promote children’s social-emotional development through a broad spectrum of social, emotional, and behavioral health service; build the sustainable behavioral health capacity of partner organizations; achieve high satisfaction with services provided among all key stakeholders; and promote systemic change in behavioral service delivery. As part of TAP, Gisella has provided professional development and consultation services to eight Boston Public Schools. In previous roles, she worked as a school-based clinician providing therapy to students and their families, as well as supporting students within the cultural context of the Latino/a community. Gisella also holds a degree in Pastoral Ministry and for 3 years was the co-director of a confirmation program supporting the faith development of candidates, sponsors and their families within their cultural context. Gisella is interested in supporting the intersection of faith and culture within different generations by exploring their understanding of God. She is a graduate of Boston College (M.A., Pastoral Ministry and M.S.W) and is originally from Lima, Peru.
Juan Manuel Mendoza is a native of California. He began working in schools while still earning his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Juan worked with students with disabilities, college-bound Latinx students, and the Greater Bay Area community. Those experiences led him to join Teach For America, Bay Area as a 2015 Corps Member. Over the past four years, Juan worked as a special education teacher supporting students and parents, all while collaborating with stakeholders, school staff, and administrators to better the outcomes of all students. He recently joined Teach For America Massachusetts as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development. In this role, Juan is supporting new teachers in improving their practice and leadership skills.
Yvette Meza-Vega grew up in the primarily Latinx community of Santa Ana, California. She attended UCLA where she majored in psychology and double minored in education and Chicana/o studies. As a daughter of immigrants and first to attend college, she quickly realized the need to make an impact on students like her siblings whose educational trajectory was largely impacted by inequitable systems and structures. After UCLA, she started her journey as a Teach For America (TFA) corps member and moved to Detroit where she taught middle school Spanish, served as elective department lead and completed her M.Ed. with an emphasis in Urban Pedagogy at the University of Michigan. While in Detroit, Yvette was also as an active member of a district wide committee aiming to reduce teacher absences and increasing teacher retention rates. Boston is now a place where she strives to make sure her students see themselves as capable of succeeding and reaching their highest potential. She continues to teach Spanish at Excel Academy Charter HS while serving as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator. During her time in Boston she has also been a Boston Public Schools Fellow with Leadership for Educational Equity, recipient of the Sontag Award, Corps Member Advisor at TFA Institute and she is currently a member of TFA The Collective Board.
Victoria Paulino has a wide range of experience working with students and families across Massachusetts. She has served as a camp counselor and youth group leader in Worcester, MA; a 6th grade summer school teacher in Lawrence, MA; and a 7th grade English and social studies teacher at Veritas Prep Charter School in Springfield, MA. She currently works as an educational advisor or “Navigator” for the Boston branch of the non-profit organization EdNavigator. She is fluent in Spanish and holds a BA in Political Science from College of the Holy Cross and an MA in Education from Boston University.
Leslie Peralta was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After graduating from the Lawrence High School in 2011, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross in 2015. Leslie has worked at the Lawrence High School Campus since the fall of 2015 where she has served students as a Building Based Educator, tutoring and teaching mathematics. In her current role as a GEAR UP Program Coordinator, she works with the high school administration and the GEAR UP team to develop and implement college and career readiness initiatives across the campus. Leslie hopes to continue supporting, guiding, and empowering students as embark on their journey after high school
Kathleen Portillo was born and raised in Somerville, MA to Salvadoran immigrant parents. Her Latinx identity was shaped by the lasting and powerful impact of the Salvadoran diaspora. Kathleen earned the Posse Scholarship in order to attend Union College in Schenectady, NY. There, she cultivated her passion for thinking critically about education access given her experiences as a first-generation student at a predominantly white institution. Following Union College, Kathleen enrolled into a Master’s degree in Education Policy & Social Analysis from Columbia University’s Teachers College. While enrolled, Kathleen worked at Harlem Village Academies High School as an Operations Manager demonstrating accomplishments in project management, implementation, and systems analysis. In 2018, Kathleen returned home. She has taken her passion for educational equity to the college access space through her role at Bottom Line, a college access and success non-profit dedicated to supporting first-generation, high school seniors from low-income backgrounds as they navigate the college application and financial aid processes.
Carlos’s family migrated from El Salvador when he was 12 years old in search of the so-called “American Dream.” Experiencing firsthand the struggles that many Latino students faced, Carlos is determined to help the Latino community in any way possible. Life was very challenging after high school as his “dreamer status” put many roadblocks to continue his education. With dedication and discipline, Carlos was able to overcome many obstacles and ended up become a first-generation college graduate. With a mindset of advocacy, empowerment and willingness to pay-it-forward Carlos joined ALPFA (Association of Latinos Professional for America) a non-profit whose mission is to empower and develop Latino leaders. Carlos is now the Vice-President of its Coaching and Mentoring Program, designed to help the next wave of Latino professionals by pairing them up with seasoned mentors and career development workshops. Carlos, believes his biggest asset is his Latinidad and is always willing to lend a helping hand.
Dallana N. Raymundo is a native Bostonian, graduating from Boston Public Schools and later the University of Massachusetts Boston with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. As a first-generation college graduate, Dallana’s first-hand experience navigating the college application process led her to a career in the education sector. She started her career at uAspire, a national non-profit known for their summer melt work, by providing college planning and financial aid advising through text messaging. Currently, she is an Implementation Manager at AdmitHub, a Boston based EdTech start-up, where she is providing partners with exceptional implementation support setup of the AdmitHub platform, so they too can reach students and assist them in their journey to and through college.
Ainsley was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts and is a first-generation college graduate. After graduating from undergrad, Ainsley joined Teach For America and obtained a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University. Ainsley serves as a Director of Teacher Support for OneGoal Massachusetts. OneGoal is a national, teacher-led, movement that focuses on increasing the college graduation rates of students from first-generation, low-income communities. Ainsley works alongside teachers in various districts across the state, who have made a commitment to helping a cohort of students go through the application and enrollment process to attend a post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal vision. Prior to joining OneGoal, she was a Special Education English teacher at Lawrence High School for four years. Ainsley is passionate about closing the college degree divide in MA, empowering students to be their authentic selves, and reading books that facilitate personal growth.
Dianyvet has worked in education since graduating middle school from Roxbury Prep, Mission Hill Campus in 2007, when she began tutoring students at multiple campuses. She continued expanding her interest in philanthropy working at the Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime women’s shelter in the Back Bay. In 2012, Dianyvet moved to Philadelphia to complete a year of service with City Year. She worked in an 8th grade math classroom and was the community engagement coordinator on her team. She worked with ELL students and felt motivated to create change for education within the ELL world. Dianyvet has a mindset of service for others and a passion for everyone to feel heard, represented and loved. A key drive to her is focused on Ubuntu; the South African proverb which described that “I am because you are”. She is passionate in being a part of the change, superseding stereotypes of a below middle-class Latina growing up in Jamaica Plain.
Emelyn Guevara is the Associate Director for High School Programs at Trinity Education for Excellence Program. Graduating for Worcester State University with a BS in Sociology, her passions came from wanting to clarify the complexities of living in our society, especially as people of color. Working in the past with youth in academic access programs, like Upward Bound, and higher education allowed her to be a mentor in a space with few Latinas as leaders. Working at Trinity Boston Connects, she is able to continue identifying programming to continue leadership development through social emotional behavior learning for youth.
Lizbeth was born and raised in Clinton, Massachusetts and is a first-generation Dominican-American and college graduate. She graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2013, where she majored in Political Science. While at Holy Cross, Lizbeth studied abroad in Bologna, Italy for a year. After her undergraduate studies, she served in a variety of special education roles across central Massachusetts. In 2015, Lizbeth began teaching at Boston Collegiate Charter School, where she co-taught Reading, Writing and History classes. She graduated with her Master’s degree in Special Education from Lesley University in 2016. In 2017, she transitioned to Boston Public Schools, where she worked as a 7th and 8th grade Learning Specialist at the Gardner Pilot Academy in Allston. At the Gardner, Lizbeth worked in a full inclusion setting, supporting students with high incidence moderate disabilities. Lizbeth holds Massachusetts teaching licenses in Special Education, English and English as a Second Language. Lizbeth joined the Nativity School of Worcester community in the summer of 2019 as a Student Support Coordinator. She is excited to live and serve in the Worcester community, as she is called to her work through social justice.
Mariangely is a Manager of Partnerships at Transforming Education, where she supports school and district partners in creating learning environments that foster the development of the whole child. Previously, she was a Rappaport Fellow at the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, where she researched challenges that immigrant students and families face in Boston Public Schools, via focus groups. Mariangely’s professional and personal journey are highly influenced by her former role an ESL Teacher in Houston, TX where she worked with immigrant students and families to create a learning environment that were safe, affirming and academically rigorous for all her students. She’s also highly influenced by her experiences as a first-generation queer mujer navigating educational spaces that were not designed for her communities and her ganas to build a world where young boys and girls from her communities don’t have to make decisions based on fear or guilt. Mariangely holds a M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, an M.Ed in Teacher Leadership and a BA in Sociology and Spanish from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, CA.
Humberto Alanis was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 5 alongside his parents and younger brother. Humberto’s family eventually settled in the border town of Pharr, Texas where he graduated from PSJA High School in San Juan. It was here where Humberto’s passion for Latino civic engagement was first born. Humberto attended the University of Texas at Austin where he studied government. As a college student, Humberto experienced firsthand the impact that a quality K-12 education can have on a student’s post-secondary experience. It was because of this experience that Humberto decided to apply to the Teach For America program where he went on to teach AP World History at the same school district he attended growing up. Humberto currently serves as a program manager for the Miles Ahead Scholars program in Houston ISD, a program that works with high performing young men of color to help them attend the nation’s top colleges and universities. Humberto hopes to build a strong coalition that’ll work together towards enhancing systems that improve the quality of life for all people.
Mariela Camarillo grew up in a Mexican household in Houston, Texas. After becoming the first person in her family to attend college and graduate from the University of Chicago, she began her teaching career in Madrid, Spain, where she taught at an international school for a year. In 2015, she joined Teach For America and was a bilingual elementary teacher at Garden Villas E.S., where she also coached the soccer team and founded the school’s after school art club. After working there for three years, she moved abroad to Shanghai, China, where she taught middle school and supported first-year teachers as an instructional coach. She earned her M.Ed in Elementary and Secondary English Studies from Johns Hopkins University and is currently working on getting her MBA at Rice University Jones School of Business. In her current role, she coaches and supports teachers as a Manager, Teacher Leadership Development with Teach For America Houston.
Joseline Cortez serves as a 12th-grade Program Manager for EMERGE in the Houston Independent School District. As a first-generation college graduate, she feels personally connected to the mission of helping high-performing students from underserved communities attend and graduate from selective colleges and universities across the country. Joseline’s education journey began at YES Prep Public Schools, where she excelled as an AP Spanish teacher. During her time in the classroom, Joseline developed a profound passion for providing equitable opportunities to all students. Joseline graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 2015 with a bachelor’s in International Studies and Spanish. She is a proud Houston native and enjoys spending time with her family, fiancé, and dog and looks forward to welcoming her baby boy at the end of December.
Jose Diaz is the Curriculum Assistant Principal at Grantham Academy in Aldine ISD in Houston, TX. In this role, he ensures each staff member and student is provided with the necessary resources to support high-quality educational experiences. As an educational leader, he has served as a math teacher, math interventionist, math skills specialist, Assistant Principal, and is currently entering his 15th year in education. Jose was born in Houston, Texas and attended Galena Park HS. He became the first college graduate in his family after completing course work at San Jacinto College and the University of Houston, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Jose obtained a masters degree from Prairie View A&M in 2011.
Juan Carlos Flores is a Dean at KIPP Connect Middle School, where he leads the Math department, supports 7th-grade teachers and students, and is a campus testing coordinator. Originally from Los Angeles, California, Juan Carlos graduated from Dickinson College with a BA in Law & Policy and Political Science in 2011. He is a POSSE scholar alumnus and first-generation college graduate. Juan Carlos joined Teach For America in Houston as a 5th Grade Math and Science teacher at Lewis Elementary in HISD. After leading a project to provide pathways of choice for his students and their families, he tracked up with some of his former students to teach 7th-grade Math at YES Prep Southeast. At Southeast, he served as a teacher, grade level chair, and family engagement coordinator. In 2017, Juan Carlos joined the KIPP team and family. As a leader at Connect M.S., he is continually grateful for every opportunity to learn from his teammates and their experiences. He continues to be inspired by providing opportunities to students, namely through working alongside their families to involve them as partners and advocates for their community.
Joel Garcia was born and raised in Houston, Texas. His parents emigrated from Mexico at the age of 16; despite not having the benefit of completing middle school, they imparted the importance of education. He graduated from the University of Houston with his B.B.A. in Finance and Marketing. He was accepted into the Gulf Region Academy for Catholic Educators at the University of St. Thomas and obtained his M.Ed. while teaching in an inner-city Catholic school. Joel next went to work for Catholic Charities, where he first served as an Education Specialist and later a Case Manager for unaccompanied minors. Working as a Case Manager, he was able to identify and work to meet all the needs of his clients. Joel went on to work at Alvin Community College as the Coordinator for the Math Success Center. The Math Success Center is an initiative of a Hispanic Serving Institute STEM Grant awarded by the Department of Education to Alvin Community College. As the Coordinator of the Math Success Center, Joel was able to coordinate the tutoring and coaching components to ensure that developmental students received the support they needed to be successful. He had the opportunity to run data for his program and to tutor students on an as-needed basis. One of the best facets of the job was being able to coach students on a one-on-one basis. Joel currently serves as a Wraparound Resource Specialist at James DeAnda Elementary. He is responsible for addressing issues such as mental health, physical health needs, food insecurity, lack of stable housing, violence, incarceration of a parent, and many other challenges that can have adverse effects on a student’s readiness and ability to learn. Joel lives in Pearland, TX with his beautiful wife and their lovely daughter.
Dora A. Garza was born in Houston, Texas from two immigrant parents who came to the United States from Mexico to secure a better future for their family. Dora is 1 of 7 children who were born and raised in a low-income home with little resources. As a student, Dora remembers the struggles that her mother had communicating with schoolteachers, doctors, store clerks, etc. due to the lack of education and the English Language. At a young age, Dora remembers having a passion for wanting to teach kids and help parents with the English language.
When Dora graduated high school in Aldine ISD, she immediately began her career in education as a Paraprofessional. Shortly after, she pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Bilingual Education at the University of Houston-Downtown. Dora served as a Bilingual Teacher and Skills Specialist while earning her Masters in Educational Administration from Lamar University. Dora became an Assistant Principal in Aldine ISD, and is currently entering her 9th year serving in that capacity. She has served at the Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle School levels and has loved working with the students and their families. Dora has a passion for her leadership role and desires to make an impact on the lives of the students and parents she serves.
Plácido is an Engagement Manager at Safal Partners where he manages projects for the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor. He also facilitates math instructional materials as a part of the Texas Resource Review. Previously, he was a field manager on Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Senate Campaign where he oversaw the daily operation of nine Houston field offices. Before working on the campaign, he was a Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus teacher at IDEA Weslaco College Prep, and a Geometry and Algebra I teacher at Burbank High School in San Antonio. He graduated from Rice University with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Economic Analysis and from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a degree in Education Policy and Management. He currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and enjoys running, hiking, and writing.
Brian Holzman, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist at the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) at Rice University. At HERC, Dr. Holzman designs and leads large-scale studies and evaluations on educational equity, policies, and practices. His work is primarily quantitative and focuses on issues related to college preparation, attendance, and graduation, particularly among the children of immigrants, English learners, and students from low-income families. Currently, Dr. Holzman is researching pathways through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from middle school to college as well as schools serving recently arrived immigrant students. He also serves as co-principal investigator for a randomized controlled trial of a text messaging intervention aiming to improve parent engagement and student outcomes. Dr. Holzman graduated from Stanford University with a master’s in sociology and a Ph.D. in sociology of education and higher education administration. His research has been published in HERC reports, Research in Higher Education, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
David Lopez is the proud son of Colombian immigrants from Miami, Florida. He attended Miami-Dade Public Schools and St. Lucie County Public Schools, attained a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida, and moved to Houston in 2015 to teach students English at YES Prep Northbrook Middle School as a Teach for America Corps Member. As a teacher at one of YES Prep Public Schools and Spring Branch ISD’s partnership campuses, he worked to build relationships with families across the community and elevate the voices of those who weren’t and still aren’t being heard. In 2016, David was a founding member of LEE’s School Organizing Cohort where he worked to learn community organizing principles and use them on his campus to elevate student and teacher voice. In 2019, David ran for the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees. While he didn’t win his race, he was able to develop skills, knowledge, and relationships that set the foundation for future organizing and political leadership. Today, David is a Dean of Students at YES Prep Northbrook High School, active in Local Democratic and Progressive politics, and an organizer with ONE Houston and Somos Spring Branch, organizations that serve to affect policy change through stories of people in his community that want and deserve strong, equitable schools.
A proud Houstonian born and raised in the East End, Dolores prides herself on being a first-generation graduate. As a ‘KIPPster,’ she discovered the importance of grit and earned a high school scholarship to attend Duchesne Academy. She graduated from Baylor University and spent a few years in speech pathology working with children in underserved communities. She expanded her career in sports and entertainment, planning, and coordinating large-scale events and community initiatives. Her work includes Super Bowl LI, NCAA Final Four tournaments, NBA All-Star games, and more. Dolores is currently the Senior Communications Specialist for the President & CEO at BakerRipley, a nationally recognized community development organization that has transformed neighborhoods across Houston.
Dolores was appointed to the KIPP: Texas Board of Directors this past year, serving as one of the first alumni to guide decision making on behalf of students, families, and alumni across the region. Dolores’ passion for quality education and gender equality has fundamentally shaped her path. She helped launch Impact Hub Houston and founded The DAPR Group, a public relations firm working with non-profits and individuals on finding their voice and achieving their marketing communications objectives. Currently, Dolores serves as a Child Advocate, Young Friend of AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence), Houston Area Women’s Center Young Leader, and Junior League of Houston Head Active.
Jaime was born and raised in Ventura, California, and is the youngest of five siblings. After high school, he attended the University of Notre Dame where majored in Political Science and minored in U.S. Latino Studies. Jaime spent time his junior year at Universidad de Las Americas – Puebla where he was researching, studying, and traveling throughout Mexico to learn more about his roots.
He currently works at Good Reason Houston where he’s constantly thinking about strong Principal preparation programs and school improvement strategies – especially dealing with high-quality curriculum and teacher coaching. Prior to this role, he worked at Baker Ripley as a Teacher Development Officer. In that position, he developed and managed the vision for math and science instruction for the district and made it come to reality through teacher-coaching. He started his career in 2009 as a bilingual elementary teacher at Gallegos Elementary in HISD.
Evelyn Martinez is the Dean of Instruction at Patrick Henry Middle School in the Houston Independent School District. She began her career in 2009 in Aldine ISD as a student-teacher. She completed five years as a Bilingual Teacher in Aldine ISD. After obtaining her master’s degree she continued to lead outside the classroom as the Dyslexia/504/RTI Coordinator. She also led different initiatives that focused on increased literacy and resources for the community surrounding her Title I campus. She created partnerships and events to bring resources to students and families.
In 2017 she began her work in Houston ISD as a Dual Language Program Specialist where she worked with over 25 schools, administrators, teachers, and families around the value of dual language education. She created professional development, managed event logistics, partnerships, bilingual education resources, and provided guidance to administrators, teachers, and families at the district level. In her current role as Dean of Instruction at Henry M.S., she leads the instructional team and holds other roles such as LPAC administrator, Dyslexia administrator, and ELA Administrator. She is a proud Mexican American who believes that education is the great equalizer, hard work beats talent, and that students need to see people who look like them in positions of leadership.
Marisol Mendez is a first-generation Mexican-American with native Mixe roots. She grew up between two worlds, Mexico and The United States, moving back and forth throughout the years. The importance of education was first imprinted on her by her parents who assured her their legacy would be found in her educational success. She is currently a Wellness Counselor with Region 4 Education Service Center and has previously held a variety of positions in education, from classroom instruction to central office roles. She graduated with a B.A in English Creative Writing in 2005, and a M.Ed. in Counseling in 2012, both from the University of Houston. She became interested in academic advising during her first year teaching as she helped her immigrant students apply for college. She soon understood that in order for them to thrive academically, their trauma needed to be addressed, so she turned to mental health. Marisol is a strong supporter of non-profit work. She sits on the board of the Houston Counseling Association and volunteers for mental health hotlines. She is also a stress-management facilitator through the International Association for Human Values where she teaches yoga-breath-meditation workshops to young people. She sees the ability to regulate one’s emotions as the foundation of social justice, for it is only when one is still, can they see clearly what action needs to be taken, intentionally and peacefully.
Justin Monarez was born in El Paso, Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border. As a byproduct of growing up on the border, in a single-parent household, and attending low-income schools, his interests in education were fueled by awareness and interrogation of inequity in his own experiences. He strives to be an advocate for BIPOC students and Latinx communities, especially those in border regions. He studied journalism at the University of Texas at El Paso and was afforded several opportunities to work and report on Capitol Hill. He completed his master’s in urban education at the University of California at Los Angeles where he studied critical pedagogy. His teaching career started with Teach for America in Metro Atlanta. He has served as a science and math teacher and STEM instructional coach in central Los Angeles and El Paso over the last 8 years. He currently works as an Assistant Principal at KIPP Connect High School in southwest Houston, Texas. He is enrolled in the doctoral program for Educational Administration at Texas Southern University. He strives to be a school leader in the near future, where he will focus on providing equitable opportunities and spaces for the most marginalized students. Ultimately, he would like to make a long-lasting impact on education policy and teacher education. He hopes to be an active voice for the Latinx community in Houston and the border region for many years to come.
Paloma Moreno is an Assistant Principal in Tomball ISD, a fast-growing district northwest of Houston, Texas. In this role, along with campus administrative duties and instructional leadership, she supports the planning and implementation of the district’s Two-Way Dual Language program. Born and raised in Houston, she became the first in her family to attend and graduate college, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Education from the University of Houston in 2011. Upon graduation, Paloma began her career in education in Tomball ISD where she served as a dual language teacher in multiple grade levels from kindergarten through fifth grade. After five years in the classroom, she moved into the Bilingual & ESL Instructional Specialist role and earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership & Supervision from the University of Houston. During her time in this role, she supported dual language classroom instruction, provided intervention, and ensured monitoring, assessment, and classification of English learners through the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee. Paloma was a member of the district committee charged with the planning for the launch of the TISD Two-Way Dual Language Academy for the 2019-2020 school year and was also named Assistant Principal. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership for K-12 schools and has a passion for dual language and bilingual education as well as access and equity for all.
Mariah Najmuddin was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up in a biracial and multi-cultural household, Mariah developed a love for her Latino and Pakistani culture at a young age. Her unique identity is what ultimately drives her to fight for education equity in her community. Mariah attended Texas public schools through high school and in 2014 received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Oklahoma. After graduation, Mariah worked at YES Prep Public Schools as a Spanish teacher for three years and began pursuing her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Houston. Mariah was the campaign Policy and Communications Director for the now elected Harris County Judge, Lina Hidalgo. Upon earning her Master’s in 2019, Mariah returned to education as a classroom teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. She has served as department liaison as well as a campus organizer for the CyFair chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Mariah is passionate about parent engagement and student opportunities. In her five years in the classroom, she has organized trips abroad, raised thousands of dollars to fund student summer opportunities, and has hosted bilingual parent workshops to increase campus and community engagement. Mariah believes deeply that parent engagement is foundational to changing education and is committed to using her voice to fight for the Black and brown communities of Cypress.
Jovanny was born in Michoacán, Mexico and is passionate about creating educational opportunities for all students, no matter their background. At the age of four, Houston became her home. Jovanny has dedicated her professional career to proudly represent and serve the Latino and underprivileged communities. At the onset of her career, Jovanny managed a privately funded boarding program where she mentored sixteen students who lived at the home while attending different high schools across Houston. Jovanny served as a Staff Clinician and certified foster parent. In 2009, the board program became non-boarding and went under KIPP. Jovanny’s role evolved to leading all special enrichment programs for middle and high school students at KIPP and other partnering schools, impacting over 120 students across 40+ schools in Houston in educationally disadvantaged communities. In 2015, she decided to take some time off to spend time with her son. After a year off, Jovanny returned to KIPP and is currently responsible for leading KIPP Texas – Houston’s fundraising goal as the Director of Development. She is charged with not only fundraising but also maintaining and cultivating internal and external relationships that will help students pursue any path they choose. Jovanny graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with two Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Ethnic Studies, concentration in Public Policy. Jovanny enjoys fishing and spending time with her husband and two young children.
Francisco is a native Houstonian and product of the Houston Independent School District where he attended Hamilton Middle School and Northside (Jefferson Davis) High School. Today, he is a Teacher Leader and Mentor of Instruction for New Teachers for Houston ISD. He served as an English and Dance teacher at his own former middle school for six years and now teaches English and Dance at his former high school. Francisco earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University in 2013 where he studied Sociology, Inequality Studies, and Dance. It was during his years at Cornell where he developed his passion for equitable education opportunities and becoming an educator. As an English teacher, Francisco fosters opportunities for his students to develop their voice and identity as readers as writers. As a Dance Director, he aims to develop confident, well-rounded community ambassadors who excel academically. He is proud to give back to his own community as a teacher and promote equitable learning opportunities for students.
Elena graduated from La Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas as an Industrial and Systems Engineer, Elena moved to Houston 19 years ago and began her educational career through the Alternative Certification Program at Region 4. Elena has had opportunities to teach diverse groups of students. Among her previous roles, she taught 1st and 2nd grade, worked as a RtI teacher, RtI Campus Coordinator, Bilingual Language Specialist, and as a K-5 Langage Instructional Specialist.
Since 2018, Elena serves as a Bilingual and Dual Language Program Coordinator for Multilingual Services in Klein ISD. It is her desire to provide all students with an excellent education and support educators to prepare students offering a viable curriculum and provide every student with a rich, relevant, and clear pathway to success.
Patricia Salgado was born and grew up in a low-income community in San Bernardino, CA to a Mexican father and Indigenous mother. She had incredible teachers who supported her as she and her twin sister became the firsts in their family to go to large four-year universities. While attending college at Baylor University, she fell in love with teaching and education, earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Wanting to work in a low-income school, similar to how she grew up, Patricia joined Teach for America in 2012 and taught in an elementary school in Houston, Texas.
Patricia taught for three years before becoming a campus instructional coach. She then had the opportunity to serve as a Dean of Instruction at KIPP Houston High School before returning back to Houston Independent School District as a District Teacher Development Specialist for Elementary Literacy. This past year, Patricia joined Teach for America Houston as a Manager, Teacher Leadership Development. In this role, Patricia is supporting new teachers in improving their teaching practices and leadership skills in order to ensure that all students, regardless of their socio-economic status or racial background, receive an equitable and strong education. Patricia also has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Instruction from Sam Houston State University and will occasionally write curriculum and lesson plans for non-profit organizations that amplify BIPOC voices.
Paula Santamaria serves as the Chief of Staff to the Global Head for Displays & Accessories at HP, Inc. Prior to her current role, she served as the Business Operations Manager for the HP Software Engineering Organization. Paula’s family was forced to flee Colombia and seek asylum in the U.S. when she was ten years old. They spent time in New Jersey before moving to Houston in 2007. She finished high school and obtained a full-ride scholarship at the University of Houston, to participate in the pre-law track. In 2014, Paula was recruited by The White House to serve as a Political Appointee in the Obama Administration. Paula worked at the National Endowment for the Arts, and then at the Inter-American Development Bank.
Paula continues to be actively involved with various political campaigns and nonprofits. She is passionate about serving the community and helping other young people of color find their paths in high school and beyond. She currently serves as a mentor, and school speaker for Project Grad, and has founded the first Latino Business Impact Network (ERG) at HP. As part of her ERG’s focus, Paula has helped foster many partnerships in the community including with Aldine ISD’s Computer Science program, engagements with various YES prep schools and EMERGE, as well as launched the HP H-Town Tech Camp. Paula has a BA in Political Science and Marketing from the University of Houston, and will be attending MIT Sloan’s School of Management in Fall 2021.
Dr. Michelle Tovar is the Associate Director of Education- Latino Initiatives at Holocaust Museum Houston, where she is responsible for building bridges between the Latino community and the museum. Her initiatives include outreach to bilingual/dual language school programs; creating educational workshops and events for teachers, parents, and community leaders; and working with local and national organizations dedicated to serving Latinos. Michelle, a first-generation college student, received her BA in Philosophy and teaching certification from the University of Houston-Downtown. She attained her Master’s from the University of St. Thomas and earned her EdD at the University of Houston in Curriculum and Instruction in K-12 Social Education with an emphasis on Social Justice Education. Michelle was a Smithsonian Latino Museum Studies Fellow and a 2017 and 2019 Fulbright-Hays Scholar. She is a recent recipient of the American Alliance of Museums EdCom Award for Excellence in Practice Award for her exemplary service to the public through the practice of education in a museum.
Barinia began her career in education as aa 7th grade ELA and Spanish teacher and a Teach for America corps member in 2010. She became a founding teacher at YES Prep Northside as a 6th-grade math and ELA teacher. After working with the Pride’s classes of 2018 and 2019, she worked at Center City Public Charter Schools in Washington D.C as a 6-8th grade math teacher and was given the opportunity to mentor and support a first-year teacher and deliver professional development alongside her dean of instruction. She discovered a passion to support and develop teachers. When she moved back to Houston, she transitioned back at YES Prep as a Dean of Instruction at North Forest where she coached math, science, world language, and elective teachers and called the Forest her home for four years. Currently, she is the founding Director of Academics at Yes Prep Hobby and is excited to support the academics team at to ensure all students have access to a rigorous, aligned, and active learning environment whether it is in person or virtual.
Barinia graduated from the University of San Diego in 2010 with a B.A in Sociology and Spanish and in 2012 received her M.A in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas. She was born and raised in San Juan Capistrano, California. After ten years in Houston, she holds true to her Californian roots. She and her partner, Pedro, have two children, Adrian and Elena.
Growing up in Houston, TX has directly influenced Mayra’s passion to make higher education more accessible and equitable for students. She benefitted from the support of having counselors help her navigate the college admission process, as a first-generation and low-income college student. As an undergraduate student at Connecticut College, she became increasingly involved in multicultural organizations. Her leadership influenced her desire to validate Latinx identities through the arts and research. This led to her entry into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and ultimately a Master’s degree at Texas A&M University. Upon graduating, Mayra focused on returning to Houston to facilitate a space for more access to higher education for talented young people.
As a trainer for the Posse Foundation in Houston, Mayra helped scholars attending Texas A&M University and Wellesley College. She facilitated productive conversations around academic excellence, team building, leadership, and cross-cultural communication to ensure that students feel supported in their transition to college. It is with this same spirit that Mayra moved from Trainer at Posse to Academic Program Manager at the Emerge Fellowship. She now supports a larger group of students in Spring Branch ISD who hope to attend the nation’s most competitive academic institutions in the country. Not only does Mayra support students with the tangible college application process, but the emotional journey of self-discovery that it can be for students. She leads with a listening ear and her own narrative of living within the hyphen of Mexican-American and exploring our collective complexity as a Latinx community.
Genesis Bautista was born and raised in Roxbury by parents born in the Dominican Republic.
She attended Fenway High School, and then went off to College of the Holy Cross to study
Political Studies with a concentration in Latin American Studies. After graduating from Holy Cross she worked as an Executive Assistant for the President of POAH Communities, a property
management organization. After two years at POAH Genesis decided to make a career change,
and ended at Mothers for Justice and Equality. She began as a Program Coordinator and is
now the Program Manager of the Second Chance and Young Parents Program. Genesis is
currently working towards completing her Masters in Public Administration at UMASS Boston.
Kelsy Duran worked 5 years in the Lawrence Public Schools as an Autism Specialist. Working there she was able to see the many talents that students acquire naturally like mimicking choreography, finding a beat and making up a rap, talking about the history of baseball players, and disassembling a toy truck just to study its part and putting it back together. Based on these experiences, she launched KDuranMusic, a bilingual music program that specializes in people with special needs ages 6 and up. Through this program, she offers voice, piano, and guitar lessons both in a group or individual setting. Her mission is to provide students with different abilities the opportunity to showcase their talent through music lessons and mentoring in a diverse and inclusive environment. Kelsy studied at Cambridge College where she obtained her Bachelors in General Psychology and has certificates from Berklee College of Music and Lesley University.
Camila was born in Recife, Brazil, and came to the United States at the age of eleven. She was undocumented for over a decade and was only able to attend college after being accepted to The Honors College at Miami Dade College (MDC) with a full scholarship, where she attained an A.A. in International Relations. She then transferred to Tufts University, where she obtained her B.A. in International Relations. While an undergraduate at MDC, she advocated for services for undocumented students as her campus’ student government vice president and a member of several organizations. Camila worked tirelessly to promote immigration reform by lobbying in the state’s Capitol; engaging in community protests, town hall meetings, youth summits; and helping organize the SWER’s 2010 Trail of Dreams.
Her experience as a first-generation Latina student, allowed her to bring a diverse perspective to Tufts University and become a vocal advocate for tuition assistance for DACAmented students as a member of the Latino House. During this time, she volunteered with Somerville’s Committee on Refugees from El Salvador by teaching Spanish literacy, ESL, and citizenship classes to low-income Latino immigrants. She also participated in NHLI’s Latinas Learning to Lead Program and served as campaign field director and legislative intern to Congressman Joe Garcia. As a proud product of public education, she decided to pursue a Master’s in Education at Boston University with a focus on Teaching English as a Second Language. She currently works in Boston Public Schools as a Middle School SEI teacher and plans to pursue an Ed.D in order to continue to fight for equitable education for Latino and minority students.
Marilyn Flores grew up in Worcester, MA and graduated from Smith College as a first-generation college student. She later attended Yale University, where she undertook research on Puerto Rican communities in New England and earned a Master’s in American Studies. Marilyn is passionate about educational access and previously ran TRIO-funded college and career readiness programming for Massachusetts Education & Career Opportunities, Inc. She also led an afterschool college access program at the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University and was as a college counselor for the nonprofit access/success organization Bottom Line. Marilyn is the Senior Associate Director of Admission at Worcester Academy, where she taught Social Justice courses and currently serves as an advisor and a member of the Equity & Inclusion Committee. Outside of work, Marilyn mentors first-generation college students through the Red Pine Scholars Program of The Philanthropic Initiative, where she helped evaluate scholarship applications for the past five years. Additionally, Marilyn serves on the Board of Directors for Worcester Latino Dollars for Scholars, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Latinx students in Worcester attain their goals of higher education. A lifelong bookworm, Marilyn’s dream is to open a BIPOC-focused bookstore with creative community events and educational programming for children and youth.
Amaris Gonzalez was born and raised in Worcester, MA. She graduated from the University of
Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Anthropology and minor in history. Her studies ignited
a passion to better understand culture, human history, and social structures. Receiving
mentorship through the college and financial aid application process to get into and through
college had an immense impact on how she viewed access to higher education for students of
color, specifically from low income communities.
Her personal experience with mentorship from two Latinx counselors allowed her to embrace her cultural identity and had an impact on her educational journey. After graduating from
UMass Amherst, Amaris worked in college access and success at the non-profit Bottom Line
where she was able to support youth and families navigate these same processes. She now
works at the Nativity School of Worcester, creating programming and resources to support
graduates of the school navigate academic and career pathways.
Jackie was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador and came to the United States at the age of one. Jackie was the first in her family to attend college and received both her B.S and Masters of Social Work from Brigham Young University. Jackie spent the last 15 years as an educator in early childhood and home visiting fields advocating for and empowering immigrant Latino families. Her passion lies in empowering parents as their child’s first and most important teacher and in accessing quality educational resources. Her tri-lingual skills have allowed her to facilitate parenting curriculums for families of diverse backgrounds. Jackie is a certified Abriendo Puertas facilitator and is currently working at Family ACCESS of Newton as the Parent-Child Plus Coordinator.
Gina Lopez, a Bronx, NY native, graduated from Boston University in 2015 with a BS in Communication. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree, Gina joined the team at KIPP Academy Boston K-8, where she is currently an Assistant Principal. Prior to this role, she worked across grade levels where she taught and led 3rd-grade math, 5th-grade math, and 7th-grade reading. As a school leader, she works to ensure that families are key stakeholders in their children’s journey, and work alongside teachers and staff to make choices that are best for their students. She is passionate about anti-racist education and ensuring that the social-emotional needs of her students are addressed as prevalently as the academic needs. Gina takes great pride in her heritage and the resilience that was instilled in her from her Dominican born-parents.
Luz Mederos-Dorleans was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, to Puerto Rican parents. As the youngest of three siblings, Luz was the first in her family to receive a Bachelor’s Degree. In 2008, Luz earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Northeastern University. Luz is currently a School Counselor at Community Charter School of Cambridge. Before joining CCSC, Luz was the Assistant Director of Support Services at The Steppingstone Foundation, a non-profit organization that develops and implements programs that prepare underserved students for educational opportunities that lead to college success. Her work at the Steppingstone Foundation inspired her to earn a Master of Science in School Counseling from her alma mater. As a first-generation student from Boston, Luz knows firsthand how instrumental it is to have mentors and support networks that invest in student success. For that reason, Luz has dedicated her life to promoting and supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional needs while guiding them through the college application process. Luz lives in Dorchester with her husband and three children.
Rosalinda Midence’s professional experience extends over 20 years of educating, mentoring, and advocating for students throughout Boston Public Schools. Rosalinda is also a Boston Teachers Union Organizer and serves on the Boston Teachers Union Committee on Political Education and the Restorative Justice Committee. Rosalinda is the Founder and facilitator of The Young Women’s Leadership Group at her school.
Rosalinda was born in Boston, and a proud first-born Honduran American and earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and a M.Ed. as a licensed School Counselor from Cambridge College. Rosalinda is also certified as a Spanish Medical Interpreter and is certified in Restorative Justice from Suffolk University. Rosalinda joined Boston Day and Evening Academy in Roxbury. As a counselor, she has worked on several campaigns with educators throughout the city of Boston and the BTU on funding schools, creating more positions for school counselors, nurses, and school therapists. She will continue to advocate and fight for all her students to have equal and quality education.
Andrea graduated from St. Michael’s College where she double majored in Psychology and English. A four-year varsity swimmer at St. Mike’s, Andrea served as captain of the team her senior year, studied abroad in Barcelona Spain in 2011, and spent her senior year in a practicum at Winooski Middle School where she worked with a combined class of 6-8th graders who had emotional and learning challenges.
Andrea joined the Nativity Worcester teaching fellowship in 2013, and taught on the 6th-grade team, and was the PTA Liaison. She also coached basketball, track and cross country. During her fellowship, she completed her M.A.T. with a focus in Urban Education from Clark University. Through the program, she earned a teaching license in English (5-12). After completing her fellowship, Andrea taught 5th grade ELA and was the Faculty Advisor for the Student Council at Seven Hills Charter Public School. In 2016, Andrea became the 6th Grade Lead Teacher at the Nativity School of Worcester. She served as the Athletics Director and After-School Coordinator.
In 2019, Andrea took on the additional role of Family Engagement Coordinator. She oversees the PTA, coordinates home visits for new students, and runs the school’s food pantry. She is currently working towards earning her Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy from Boston College.
Evelyn Ocampo was born and raised on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois to Mexican immigrant parents. She is a proud Latina who graduated from Tufts University in 2017 with a degree in Child Study and Human Development and Latinx Studies. Evelyn is currently working as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University and pursuing her master’s degree in Diversity and Inclusion Leadership. Through her work in admissions, Evelyn coordinates diversity and access initiatives including all Spanish language programming. She has dedicated her time supporting underrepresented students in higher education as a pre-major advisor. Through her graduate program, she focuses on increasing educational equity and inclusive excellence in Higher Education.
Diana is the Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity Education & Support at Harvard College, where she oversees the Diversity Peer Educator Internship Program and provides staff support to the Race Relations Tutor & Proctor Program. In addition to her role, she serves as the FYRE Pre-Orientation Program Director, which seeks to transition 100-125 first-generation and low- income (FGLI) students into college. Throughout the year, she volunteers as a First-Year Advisor, supports student organizations as a Staff Advisor, and serves as the Vice President of Programming for the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance. Within and outside her roles on campus, she provides ongoing mentorship to FGLI, undocumented, and Latinx students, and in her practice as a student affairs professional she is committed to advocating for the educational equity of marginalized students within the field of higher education. Her areas of competency include facilitating training and consultations on topics of inclusion and belonging, advising and supervising student interns and leaders, leveraging strategies to sustain campus collaborations, and providing leadership to implement student-centered programming. Diana holds a B.A. in History with a minor in Latina/o Studies from Pomona College and an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School. She was born in Mexico and raised in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California.
Marianthy has focused her passion for education on designing accessible spaces of teaching and learning. Her multicultural background is central to her work. After earning her B.A. in English Literature and French Language, Marianthy presented her research in national conventions where she proposed anti-racist pedagogies for public school classrooms. While living in Mexico City, she taught her own curriculum to intermediate and advanced French and English courses designed for adult learners. That same year, Marianthy designed the community engagement strategy for a law firm in support of constituents affected by the September 2017 earthquakes. This work influenced her to pursue a position as a financial educator for the Spanish-speaking community in East Boston at the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc where she advocated for clients through loan restructuring transactions including loan modifications, refinances, and assumptions. Currently, Marianthy designs strategies for community engagement with school districts and their communities at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE).
Awilda is a proud daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Her path towards helping those who are underserved started early through her work as a youth activist and organizer in her hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 2015, she earned a Bachelor’s in Economics with a concentration in Management and Entrepreneurship from Clark University. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, Awilda worked as a Senior Account Specialist at an Education Technology firm called Curriculum Associates, where she supported school districts across different states to find the best technology solutions for their classrooms. During that work experience, she realized systemic inequality, ineffective policies, and racism plagued communities of color for decades.
In 2019, Awilda received a Master’s degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. Currently, Awilda is the Executive Staff Assistant for the Commissioner’s Office at Rhode Island Department of Education. She is passionate about learning how to create interconnected and multi-disciplinary systemic change that will lead to equitable outcomes for traditionally black and brown underserved students. In addition, Awilda is committed to advocating for working-class communities who are often left out of the policy decision-making process.
Raúl’s life has been marked by journeys. He was born in Chiloé, an island located in the south of Chile but raised in the south of Argentina. At the age of 17, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Then, he did a certified postgraduate course on Social Economy and finally a Master of Science in Project Evaluation. In Buenos Aires he got married, and today his family is composed of Maria Marta, his wife, and their children Morena, Mateo, and Juan. Since 2017 they live in Cambridge, MA. He has been related to non-profit organizations since the year 2002. While living in Argentina, he volunteered in several non-profit organizations mostly in Financial/Operational areas. In 2014, he moved to Santiago de Chile with his family and pursued different executive positions at educational organizations. Before coming to Boston he worked at CREE Cerro Navia school as the Operations Director of the founding team. Since 2018 he’s worked at Brooke Charter Schools as Director of Finance and Operations. He is passionate about the fact that every child’s potential can be unlocked if provided access to quality education. He has experienced himself the power of education as a social equalizer since he is a first-gen.
Rosa Segarra-Morales was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Lowell, MA with her mother and two older brothers as a young child. Growing up in a single-parent, minority household, Rosa remembers her mother’s struggle in learning English and having to adapt to white dominant culture so that she could provide a better life for her children. Becoming a teen parent to a child with autism, Rosa recognized ever more the barriers and obstacles dominant culture places on those who do not fit into dominant societal expectations. It was these experiences that led Rosa to choose a career in the social services field. Eventually, her career led her to a role within the Lowell Public School system. It was in this role that she was able to connect all of the pieces of her experiences and recognize patterns that were still occurring with the Lowell Public Schools that were putting Latino students of all backgrounds at a disadvantage.
Absences, behavioral consequences, course failures, dropouts (ABC’s) – all of these areas were areas that were disproportionately impacting Latino students throughout the school district. As she uncovered this, she learned that, not only did she and her brothers have these experiences, so many others in my Latino community, in Lowell and throughout the country, had them and were continuing to have them too. As a social justice advocate and warrior, Rosa’s greatest passion is to ameliorate the systemic and social barriers impacting educational equity for Latino students.
Asbeidy was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Mexican-immigrant parents. Her Latinx identity was shaped by the vibrant and enduring Oaxacan community. She graduated with Honors from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where she earned her B.S. in Sociology. There, she developed an interest in the institutional factors and experiences that shape college success for historically underserved students. She subsequently specialized in higher education and immigration at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) where she was awarded various fellowships to complete her Masters in Sociology. While at UCI, Asbeidy participated in faculty-led research projects and conducted independent research on the experiences of undocumented college students at the University of California. As a first-generation college and MA graduate, Asbeidy’s experiences in higher education and research led her to do student-facing work at Bottom Line—a non-profit organization in Boston that serves low-income and first-generation college students. As a College Success Advisor, Asbeidy helps community college students and students attending BA-granting institutions navigate the transfer process, financial aid, job and internship searches, and connects students to community resources.
Emily Soto is the 5th grade and 6th grade English Language Education (ESL) Teacher at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School. As a first-generation student and daughter of Dominican immigrants, education, hard work, and cultural pride have been the most important values her parents taught her. Growing up in Boston, Emily’s experiences exposed her to countless disparities in her community which encouraged her to become an advocate at a young age. Emily earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Women & Gender Studies from the University of Massachusetts Boston. While she equipped herself to go to law school and work in the juvenile justice field, she discovered that many of the social issues she was passionate about were rooted in the injustices in education. She discovered that if she wanted to be impactful in the lives of black and brown children, that meant being an advocate directly in the classroom and disrupting the school to prison pipeline at the forefront instead of in the courtroom. In 2017, Emily joined Teach for America and in 2019, she earned a Master’s in Education in Teaching & Curriculum from Boston University Wheelock School of Education. Emily also participated in the InSPIRED Fellowship Program. Her purpose as an educator is to create learning environments where her students are loved, feel proud of their culture, and believe in themselves as learners and multilingual members of their communities.
Edith Suarez is a Chicana that was born and raised in Long Beach, CA in a small apartment with two parents and three siblings. As a first-generation college student, she highly-valued education. After completing her undergraduate degree and two years with Peace Corps in Burkina Faso, West Africa in 2015, she pursued a degree that would bring together her passion in social justice and the importance of management and organizational skills. Ultimately, she completed a dual Masters degree at Brandeis University in Public Policy and Business Administration in Nonprofit Management. The past two years, she’s applied her talent and skills to bring some of her passions together, whether this was in a grassroots political campaign or in her current role leading a new initiative for Latinx youth and families.
Carolina Vila is a mathematics teacher and tutor in Medford, Massachusetts. Her family immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic when she was very young, providing her a childhood with a mix of both Dominican and American influences in language, culture, and education. Carolina has earned a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from Villanova University and a Master of Education degree from Lesley University. Most recently, Carolina completed a Doctor of Education degree from American International College which culminated in a dissertation focusing on attitudinal factors among middle schoolers while learning mathematics. Her research highlights the importance of self-efficacy beliefs, especially among minority groups. Other notable experiences include teaching in Uganda and Nepal, helping in the editing process of The Synergy of Inquiry by education professor Paul Jablon, and starting her own private tutoring business. She hopes to continue learning and contributing to the world of education at large.
Georgina grew up in a Dominican household in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. After graduating from Boston Arts Academy in 2012, she matriculated to American University as a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar where she obtained her B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution within the Middle East. In 2017, Georgina moved back to Boston to work for Citizen Schools as the Operations Manager for the Chelsea campuses. Throughout this time, she cultivated strong and meaningful relationships with her students which led her to realize she was meant to be an educator. Georgina later returned to her former high school, Boston Arts Academy, as a Retention Specialist. She worked particularly with first-generation alumni to ensure they had the necessary support and tools to get through college. Georgina obtained her M.Ed. in School Guidance Counseling in the Spring of 2020. Her hopes as a licensed school counselor are to provide students of color with the opportunity and resources needed to become successful in high school and beyond. Georgina currently works as the Network Operations Associate at Excel Academy Charter Schools where she is responsible for new student enrollment.
Raymond Zapata grew up in Boston, MA. After graduating from West Roxbury Academy in 2012, he was enrolled at Year Up Boston. He specializes in Information Technology Configure, and Troubleshoot Solutions as well as Helpdesk/Desktop Support. He continued his education at Cambridge College where he earned his B.A. in Early Education. In 2018 he received his M.Ed. in Elementary Ed from Boston College. Currently, Raymond teaches 7th-grade science in Boston Public Schools.
Karen Maldonado serves as Chief Program and Innovation Officer (CPIO) for Latinos for Education, the first Latino-founded and led national organization dedicated to creating pathways for Latinos in education. As CPIO, Karen directs and guides the overall vision, strategy, design, and evolution of all program areas nationally—and provides leadership around K-16 partnerships, fundraising, budget-setting, and organizational strategy.
Prior to serving as CPIO, Karen was Director of Education Reform for the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB). Her role was to ensure the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) worked to implement system-wide best practices across every public school on the island. Karen’s work provided a transformation roadmap for better K-12 student outcomes, greater workforce participation and productivity. In April 2022, Karen launched the inaugural cohort of the Puerto Rico Education Leadership Development Program (PRELDP)—a collaborative learning opportunity, to support the improvement of the PRDE’s ability to develop action needed reform, particularly at the mid-career level.
Karen also served as an Executive Director for the New York City Department of Education; her most memorable experience was serving as founding principal of the first bilingual secondary school (English/Spanish for grades 6-12) in The Bronx, New York. Karen is a graduate of the inaugural cohort of Harvard’s Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program, Fordham University (MS), City of New York at Hunter College (MA) and the State University of New York at Binghamton University (BA). She currently lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico.