Emily Chavez (1981- )
ONCE THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL named Emily Chavez, who knew that one day she would use everything in her power to help improve the lives of those less fortunate. Being a descendant of a Peruvian father and an American mother gave her the opportunity to see the world through two different lenses.
Alexa M. Mieses (1988 - )
DR. ALEXA M. MIESES IS FROM NEW YORK CITY. Her mom is of Irish/Italian descent and her father is from the Dominican Republic. The early years of her life were quite difficult since her parents got divorced when she was just a little child and her father was deported from the United States while she was growing up. Though neither of her parents went to college, Alexa understood the importance of education from an early age and had a particular interest in science and social justice. Thus, she went to a high school that specialized in science.
Roselia Flores
In 1990, ROSELIA FLORES JOURNEYED all the way from Mexico to California. After eight years, she packed up her life and traveled to Durham, north Carolina. She vividly describes her childhood memories of Mexico, of her family sewing clothes to make money and starting her first job at fourteen working in a candy factory.
Areli Barrera de Grodski (1985- )
ARELI BARRERA DE GRODSKI WAS BORN In TIJUANA, MEXICO, where she lived until she was six, before moving to the United States. She moved from Texas to north Carolina with her family, following her father’s textile and leather goods business.
Javiera Caballero (1978- )
JAVIERA CABALLERO WAS BORN IN SANTIAGO, CHILE but her family emigrated to the US when she was 2 years old. Her father was completing a graduate school program in the US but also looked to escape the country’s dictatorship.
Maria Morales Levy (1966- )
THERE WAS ONCE A GIRL NAMED MARIA MORALES. She was born in Lima, Peru in 1966. From a young age, she developed a deep passion for animals. She believed that animals were often mistreated because people thought that they did not have feelings since they were not humans. and she knew this was what she wanted to study when she grew up.
Juliana Cabrales (1981- )
JULIANA CABRALES WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA. Eventually, she decided to come to the United States for school and studied economics at Wesleyan College in Georgia before getting a degree in Design from the Parsons School of Design in new York. When she came to the United States from Colombia without being able to speak English very well, she realized how important it is for governments to provide help to people who do not speak English as their first language.
Cathy Quiroz Moore
EDUCATION IS A PASSPORT FOR THE FUTURE. People like Superintendent Cathy quiroz Moore, work to ensure that everyone has access to this opportunity. quiroz Moore is the first Latina and first woman to lead the Wake County Public School System. However, she did not get here by coincidence. It took hard work and perseverance.
Laurie Hernandez (2000- )
LAURIE HERNANDEZ WAS BORN IN OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY and her family is of Puerto Rican descent. One day while watching gymnastics on TV, she told her mom she wanted to do what “big girls did” and her mom enrolled her at age 5.
Emma González (1999- )
NOTED BY HER SHAVED HEAD AND FIERCE ATTITUDE, Emma Gonzalez was born in Florida and is of Cuban descent. During her time as a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, she was the president of her school’s Gay-Straight Alliance Club. Although Emma’s work as president of her organization prepared her to be a leader for the LGBT+ community, Emma became nationally known for her activism in gun control.
Lupe Gonzalo (1980- )
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL NAMED LUPE GONZALO. Like many kids her age, she wanted to fight injustices of our society. Lupe was raised in a poor neighborhood of Guatemala where, from an early age, she started working in agricultural fields to support her family. Lupe suffered from poverty and difficult working conditions; the little she earned was not enough for her to help maintain her parents.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (1989- )
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ WAS BORN IN THE BRONX area of new York City on October 13th, 1989. Her father was a small business owner and Alexandria helped her family run the business. Her mother was born in Puerto Rico and supported the family by cleaning homes. Because they both began their lives in poverty and worked their way up, Alexandria’s parents knew the value of education. This was cemented into young Alexandria, who worked extremely hard in school and was eventually accepted to Boston University.
Gina Rodriguez (1984- )
“I CAN AND I WILL,” Gina’s father, a boxing referee, whispered to her and her sisters every night for 20 years. Perhaps he did not know it then, but these words would become Gina’s lifelong call to action. Gina was born on July 30, 1984 in Chicago to Puerto Rican parents. By teaching Gina and her sisters how to box after school every day, their father planted the seeds of resilience and strength that allowed her to pursue the education she dreamed of.
Sonia Sotomayor (1954- )
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a little girl named Sonia Maria Sotomayor. Like many kids her age, she wanted to change the world and make it a better place. Her journey started when Sonia’s poor parents left Puerto Rico and reestablished themselves in the United States of America. Overall, her parents prioritized family and education above all other things to assure Sonia’s successful future.