In this role she oversees Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language policy and programmatic guidance for K-12 emergent bilingual students and their families. As a proud Puerto Rican who owes her success to countless mentors who believed in her potential, she is passionate about being able to pay it forward to her community through her work. She also received district level recognition for her work when she was awarded the Ann Sledge Instructional Coach Excellence Award. Bruno has recently accepted a position as an AML Guidance Manager for Citizens Financial Group where he will be working in the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance department ensuring the business units maintain the guidelines and standards set forth by the department. Vicky began her journey into education as a behavioral therapist working with students on the Autism spectrum in schools and at home. They are a 2023 Stove Works Artist-in-Residence, a former Art & Social Engagement Fellow at Project Row Houses UH KGMCA, a Greensboro Justice Fund Fellow at the Highlander Center, and Desert Nights, Rising Star Fellow at ASUs Piper Center for Creative Writing. He draws his passion to drive educational equity by closing gaps in postsecondary education outcomes from his experience growing up low-income and undocumented in Pasadena, TX. I applied for the Latino Teacher Fellowship in 2021 and learned so much from it. Prior to that role, Mara Fernanda led the Human Resources function at a multi-state, education tech company whose stated mission is to radically improve education for every student. Originally from Peru, he was raised in Venezuela and came to the U.S. as a teenager. At Smith, she also teaches as a university lecturer, and runs several skill-building social-justice oriented fellowships. Marina went on to earn an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Texas Christian University, she planned make an impact through research. Additionally, Shelbys expertise as a leader lies in strategic planning, change management, community building, program development, policy development, and quality improvement. HOUSTON,TX,September12, 2019 Twenty-twoLatino education leaders were selected to join thefirstcohort of the Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellowship inHouston. Carlos currently serves as the Director of Student Affairs for ALPFA Boston where he focuses on creating career development opportunities for Latinx student in the area and assisting all of our student chapters with their strategies. Therefore, in 2011 she transitioned as the EC-2nd grade Bilingual and ESL Program Director. Partnered with like-minded organizations like the Houston Symphony, Ana believes music education can change lives, help us heal, and bring us peace. In all these settings some of our guiding questions have been to understand and respond to the barriers that prevent students/families from accessing services and supports needed to learn and grow. Vicky Diaz is a proud Nicarguence, Boricua, Chileana native of San Jose, CA. She is currently at YES Prep Thrive, the districts DEAP school, as the Director of Thrive/Principal of Thrive. Cecilia Paz Aguilar is a Senior Manager with TNTP for the Southwest Region (LA, TX, AR, OK, AR, or NM), where she is committed to elevating and aligning the work to organizational and regional priorities. I focus on teaching the whole child through community support, parent workshops, and student involvement throughout the school. She also has a younger sister called Gloria Feria. Celine Byford. Leadership Coach @ TNTP; Teacher @ Idea Public Schools; Education. Myrla received the nickname "Picture Perfect Princess" because of her high standards. She graduated from Elkins High School in 2009 and attended Texas A&M University. Cecilia is a Chicana Los Angeles native and Oakland lover, with over twenty years experience in the field of education, youth development, community organizing and advocacy efforts aimed at creating anti racist schools and developing and supporting teachers and students in increasing Black and Brown excellence in our schools. Jade Franco is a proud Afro-Latina & Dominican who grew up in the city of Boston. Ivn describes himself as an immigrant, educator, and a proud life-long English learner who advocates for newcomers students and their families; he believes that these communities have an extraordinary heritage and culture to learn from. For the past decade they have helped lead the growth, PR, and branding of emerging brands across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the US. Her professional experience is multipronged and includes human resources management, clinical leadership, and volunteering at cultural institutions. With the support of dedicated teachers and her high school counselor, she was encouraged to participate in programs that would provide leadership development, academic enhancement, and workforce skills. Ana is a Good Reasons to Lead fellow with Good Reason Houston. The TSC is the longest-running salsa congress in the United States fully produced and owned by a woman. Elvira Morin Bates was born in San Diego, which is located in South Texas. I currently serve in the United States Air Force Reserve, in the rank of Technical Sergeant at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, MA. I want students to come to school and have the BEST elementary experience through academic learning, extracurricular activities, and supportive interactions from all educators they encounter. Soon after, Ana moved to Austin, Texas and taught a 4th grade self-contained bilingual class with KIPP Austin, before finally settling down in Washington DC where she taught as a 3rd grade humanities teacher prior to joining the leadership team. Dr. Julie Lara currently serves as the Director of the English Learner Support Division at the Texas Education Agency. Johana Muriel Grajalesserves as the Director ofNational Strategy and Innovationat Latinos for Education. In my downtime, I enjoy travelling, playing with my dogs, country dancing, gardening, and going to Texans games. I spent the last 8 years dedicated to STEM and Language education within the KIPP Texas-Houston network. Jimmy is passionate about creating opportunities for students from underserved areas. Paola is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist at Clearhope Counseling and Wellness, the largest mental health provider in Pasadena. As a child, he had to become adept at meeting new people because of the frequent moving. Tiffanys background includes implementation, evaluation and continuous quality improvement for youth programming. Moreno is 1 of 10 children born to Mexican immigrants and the first in her family to earn a college degree. is passionate about supporting an inclusive community of Latino leaders from diverse backgrounds. I was born in Compton, Ca. She moved to Houston in 2008 where she took a teaching position as a Spanish teacher in Aldine ISD. Sandra is an active change agent in the lives of Latinx children. I was born and raised in Houston, TX and love being able to make an impact in the educational sector in my hometown. And encouraged by one of her professor she applied to the ACP program and worked as Bilingual teacher during a time when the Bilingual program was not 100% established. She holds a BA in Psychology, an MBA/MA in Educational Leadership, and an Administrative Credential. Cynthia Paris joined Lawrence Public Schools as Superintendent in August 2018, following her nomination by the Lawrence Alliance for Education and appointment by state Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley. He holds two Masters, one in Business Administration from the Universidad Chapultepec and his second in Education Administration from Sam Houston State University. She is a Trustee of the Board with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Roxbury Community College. I am interested in continuing seeking solutions to better the quality of life for Latino families. Prior to joining Latinos for Education, as Director of Development at TeachForAmerica South Carolina, she led private sector fundraising and co-led marketing and communications efforts to build the organizationsimpactacross the state of South Carolina. Marina Pastrana Ros is a social-impact entrepreneur with fifteen years of experience in diverse industries, including higher education, food and beverage, social-impact start-ups, and plastics manufacturing. Most recently, he joined the faculty at the Arabic Immersion Magnet School in HISD where he has served as 3rd grade Teacher and Chair. Although the move was exciting it took time to get used to the culture, language, classmates, and teachers. She holds a BA from Boston College (07) and a MSW from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work (16). She majored in Biology and minored in Education with an Academic Scholarship. Shortly after moving back home to Worcester, she earned her Masters Degree in Organizational Management from Endicott College; while simultaneously working on her Administrators licence through the Urban Principals Development Program with Teachers 21. Johanawas 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 has worked in public education since 2000 and has served as a paraprofessional, and classroom teacher. Her work is informed by her lived experiences as the daughter of immigrants from El Salvador and Mexico, and from being a first-generation college graduate. In this role, she manages thedesign 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. She started her career at JPMorgan Chase serving in a various positions including client services and treasury services sales. . As a classroom teacher in an affluent suburban district, she witnessed first-hand the educational inequities experienced by students of color and their families, which prompted her to leave the classroom to pursue other leadership roles. Shirley Cardona is a marketing executive with experience across consumer goods, travel and tourism, and edtech SaaS. Leaving an opportunity dessert was made possible because of the love and encouragement of her parents, una comunidad de apoyo that she found in educators at The University of Texas at Austin, and appetite for growth, opportunity, and search for equity. Elvira lives in the greater Houston area with her spouse and two children. I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA in the Mission District, el corazn de San Francisco, home to many Mexican and Central American immigrants. In 2020, Dr. Tovar was awarded the American Alliance of Museums Ed Com Award for Excellence in Practice. Myrla is a bougie, loud and confident Leadership Coach and Gil is a laid-back Firefighter and proud Columbian. X. Ordua, Ed.D. , he is a sought-after commentator on education and civic issues important to Latino students and families. Mathematics curriculum and instruction with cultural relevance is my strongest interest. While teaching Reading and Composition at Golder College Prep in Chicago, Adriana realized that her true passion in education is in literacy instruction. She had previously led in Education as a campus administrator, bilingual skills specialist, and bilingual teacher. Jos Eduardo is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico and now calls Houston, Texas home. My name is Andrew Rodolfo Aguilar, but I prefer to be called Andrs. Giving back to the community that gave her an opportunity to succeed in life was one of the promises she made to herself as she furthered her career. 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