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I was born in Chicago, IL in 1989, but we lived in the suburbs of Streamwood, IL. I am the youngest of three. My parents were both immigrants from Mexico, who immigrated when my oldest brother was 1 year old. My sister and I were both born in the U.S. My father worked in Chicago for a few years in an Architectural Firm rendering sketches. He lost his employment when management changed within the company, due to language barriers. Since then, my father struggled with low-wage paying jobs. In order to make ends meet, both my parents worked, while my siblings and I got taken care of by neighbors.

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I grew up in a sheltered home. Both my parents were always afraid of danger, and crime. They always overprotect my siblings and I. We grew up in a Catholic home, my family would attend church every Sunday. Both my parents made our family a priority. My parents tried their best to make life fun for my siblings and I within our means. A major part of my childhood that I remember was spending Friday nights renting movies at Family Video, getting take-out as a special treat, and going shopping at the mall. We were always a family unit, always together. Every weekend my parents made it a priority to visit relatives, family was always a priority. I value family.

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School, my first day of preschool, I refused to leave my mother's side. My then teacher let my mother stay in the class with me for a few months while I transitioned. Fun fact, that tantrum helped my mother get a job as a paraprofessional. Streamwood Elementary was a school for preschool and kindergarten only. I absolutely loved that school! I remember my teachers being conversationalist educators. One of the units that I fondly remember was the transportation unit. We modeled all kinds of transportation; train, bus, and airplane. The teacher assign us different roles, and all the students would have a specific job to do. Sell bus tickets, punch train tickets, handle luggage, etc. Our airplane would fly out to different countries, every classroom would have a different theme set up, Mexico, Italy, etc. We would explore the different cultures, and learn about their cultural customs and foods. That school made education really exciting and fun for me. Those teachers influence my life greatly, I wanted to be an educator, so I could implement the same practices with my own students.
I am a conversationalist.

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I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2012 as a Graphic Design student. Going to Columbia was a big transition for me. I remember being terrified setting foot in a BIG city. I was always sheltered and over-protected so this was a very big deal. I was able to gain my independence and really fit in my shoes. Columbia College instructors had a mix of Conversationalist and Activist instructors. All my instructors were working in the field I was studying. Learning from them was very engaging, and inspirational. Columbia was about collaboration and making connections with peers and instructors. I am a Conversationalist.

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I became a mother in 2014 to a little boy named Leo.
After the birth of my child, I got postpartum depression, it took a few years for me to actually realize I went thru PPD. I went thru a phase in my life where I became really retracted and super anxious. Going thru PPD was detrimental to my relationship. Leo was the joy of my life and really the only focus I had in my life. I lost myself and my identity. When Leo started Kindergarten I became very involved in his school education, volunteering at his school, and being a homeroom mom, which brought back the joy and passion I had for teaching. Fast forward to Leos's starting 1st grade, my relationship with Leo's father ended. It was at that moment that I was faced with the reality of having no job, no financial stability, and no home. We depended on his father 100%. It was a crucial part of my life, my family was a big support, and they have always been a great support so I decided to move back home. I start my Education Career around that time. I really enjoyed volunteering at Leos school, and being around children. It brought me so much joy. I started to look into substitute positions, and eventually landed a position as a Cadre. I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 6 months. I had students in my classroom that were being evaluated for special education. Those two lovely students cause so much havoc in my class, but they also sparked my interest in Special Education. I really wanted to understand the world they lived in. I wanted to go inside their world and sit there with them. I wanted to connect and I had no idea how. Fast forward to Leo starting 2nd grade, and coming back from Covid isolation, I got a job as a SECA at Leo's school. My journey to special education began!

I value family. I am a Conversationalist.