Shaping
futures through
education.
As a Board of Trustee for Sequoia Union High School District and professor at San Jose State University, I am committed to opening doors for the students who come after me — especially those who never saw themselves represented in academia.
opens
the door."
First-Generation
Indigenous Mexican Latina
Growing up in the Bay Area as a First-Generation Indigenous Mexican Latina, I understood early that education is both a privilege and a responsibility.
I was raised in a community where going to college was a dream many could not reach — where systemic barriers, language gaps, and a lack of representation in faculty and leadership made higher education feel distant. I carried those realities with me into every classroom I entered and every board meeting I attended.
My Indigenous Mexican heritage is not incidental to my work — it is the foundation of it. The values of community, reciprocity, and collective wellbeing that I was raised with guide every policy decision I champion and every course I teach. I believe deeply that education must reflect and honor the full breadth of our students' identities and histories.
Serving on the Board of Trustees and teaching at San Jose State are, for me, two sides of the same commitment: to ensure that the students who follow — especially those who are first in their families, who speak other languages at home, who see themselves as outsiders in academic spaces — find a path that is clear, supported, and welcoming.
What I Stand For
Educational Equity
Every student deserves access to quality education and mentorship, regardless of their background, immigration status, or family income.
Cultural Representation
Students thrive when they see their histories, languages, and cultures reflected in their curriculum and in the faces of their educators.
First-Gen Pathways
First-generation college students need more than admission — they need mentors, resources, and communities that affirm their belonging.
Community Voice
District governance must center the voices of families who have historically been excluded from decision-making tables.
Rigorous Scholarship
Academic excellence and cultural affirmation are not in tension — the highest scholarly work emerges when students are seen and supported.
Intergenerational Impact
The work we do today — in classrooms and boardrooms — shapes the possibilities available to generations we will never meet.
Interested in connecting or collaborating?
Whether you're a student, educator, community member, or policy advocate — I'd love to hear from you.