Where I Come From
I come from a family that survived because we took care of one another. My Indigenous ancestors were not meant to survive the violence of colonization, yet they passed down a deep belief in community. My grandparents taught me that survival has nothing to do with wealth or status and everything to do with sharing what you have and protecting the people around you. My parents raised me in the values of struggle, identity, and education. These early lessons shaped how I see the world and the responsibility I feel toward the people I serve.
The Organizer I Became
Becoming a middle school teacher changed my life. I showed up every day underpaid, overworked, and stretched thin, but I kept going because my students deserved everything I could offer. I saw the inequities they faced and the pressure educators carried, and I knew something had to change. Organizing gave me the tools to turn frustration into action. Standing shoulder to shoulder with educators, students, and families across Arizona taught me what collective power looks like. Together we built multiracial, multilingual, and multigenerational coalitions that fought back against harmful policies and won real victories for public education.
A Lifetime of Service
I am running because educators across this country are tired, overwhelmed, and unsure if change is possible. I know it is. I have seen it. I want to help build a national union that listens to its members, invests in local power, and moves with urgency in the face of attacks on our profession and our democracy. We do not need to be empowered because we already have power. What we need is a structure that allows us to use it. I am ready to build that with you, and I am ready to fight for the future our students and colleagues deserve.
