Candidate for
Governing Board Member; El Rancho Unified School District

Growing up as a 1st generation ELL student in Pico Rivera, my father and mother always instilled two things in me: the value of la familia and that college was not a goal but an expectation. Even though I came into Rio Vista Elementary speaking no English, the expectation from my parents was that I would one day graduate from El Rancho High School with Honors and be on my way to a university. This was possible because of the services I was provided as an ELL student and more importantly, the advocacy of my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Lomeli and my 9th grade English teacher Ms. Chavez to make sure I was on a college track.

However, the journey through our school district was not a simple one.

I had been placed in an all-English classroom where even my teacher did not speak Spanish and, therefore, I was unable to learn due to my limited English achievement. I remember how frustrated and unmotivated I felt because I could not understand what was taught in class. It was not until I was moved to a bilingual classroom where I was provided additional resources that I felt more comfortable and grew drastically. It changed my perception of myself and helped me gain confidence once again. I do not know if I would have gone to college without these resources, and I know that my story resonates with many kids in our district today.

We need to continue these stories such as mine and make sure that all students are college and career ready.

I was born and raised in Pico Rivera my whole life. I have gone through the entire ERUSD k-12 public school system and because of it, I was able to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara. I've been working as a middle school math teacher for four years and have seen what other districts have accomplished.

I hope to bring that experience and passion as a school board leader because Pico is not simply a city, it is my home and it is my family's home.