I discovered I had a passion for community work at a young age. I received my bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin with a major in International Relations and a minor in Public Policy. Upon graduation, I was nominated to join the Teach For America organization, an organization whose goal is to reach education equity in the U.S..
I was fortunate to be placed at a primary school in my hometown, down the street fromwhere I grew up. While serving as a corps member, I learned how to strategically plan equity and inclusion-driven lessons for my predominately Latino students. Wanting to take a closer look at education behind a culturally aware lens, I participated with the organization Latinos For Education as a teacher-fellow in the Summer of 2022.
During my fellowship, I was inspired by the idea that a strong ethnic identity can mean resilience. The community I was able to cultivate in my classrooms had already proven to me how a sense of belonging could encourage the academic growth of a child, and so I decided to take the community beyond the walls of theclassroom. I am currently working on a project cafecito y lecciones, an Instagram page meantfor Latino educators and families.
The idea behind the project is to use a familiar language and translate it into social-emotional tools that can be used inside and outside of the classroom to further support a child’s growth. In each post I introduce a popular mexican or latin dicho, give its historical context, and then share tips for applying it to school-home life dynamics.
My participation in the SRE 2021 Cultural Immersion and Volunteer Program, inspired me to continue learning and reconnecting with my Mexican culture. I currently find myself working as an International Primary Teacher in Mexico City.
I hope to continue exploring the history of my people as I apply my knowledge and skills as an educator to our greater community.
Below is the latest @cafecitoylecciones Instagram post.
