As an Associate of Data and Policy, Patricia helps manage the COVID Comeback Fund grant, supports and leads the development of data memos, and conducts research around learning acceleration and instructional improvement across Chicago Public Schools.
A native Chicagoan, Patricia grew up in Pilsen and attended CPS schools. Patricia graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in International Studies and Spanish Literature and a concentration in Latino/a Studies. Patricia’s undergraduate research for Latinos in Rural America (LiRA), a public humanities project on the Latinx experience in rural Ohio, showed her first-hand the powerful role research and data can have in improving outcomes for diverse communities. It is this type of solutions-oriented work that drives her to create a brighter future for students in Chicago.
Upon graduation, Patricia completed a Fulbright ETA in Mexico and taught 2nd and 3rd grade as part of Teach for America. In 2019, Patricia obtained a Masters in Bilingual Education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. As the first in her family to graduate from college and obtain a graduate degree, Patricia is passionate about educational policy because she understands first-hand the powerful impact educational opportunities can have on children’s futures.
Currently, Patricia serves on the Local School Council of Irma C. Ruiz, the elementary school she attended as a child. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys trying new food, ceramic sculpting, and hiking the Indiana Dunes.