I am honored to serve as President of the Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education, representing Trustee Area 5. But my connection to Monrovia schools began long before I was elected to the Board.

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I am a proud Monrovia Unified parent, daughter of immigrants, first-generation Latina, longtime public servant, and someone who believes deeply in the power of public education. Before being elected in 2018, I spent years volunteering in our schools through the PTA and School Site Councils. Like so many parents, I wanted to be involved, ask questions, support our teachers, and help make our schools the very best they could be for our children.

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My daughter is a proud 2024 graduate of Monrovia High School and is now studying Bioengineering with an emphasis in Medical Devices at Santa Clara University. Watching her journey through Monrovia Unified gave me a parent's perspective on the tremendous impact our teachers, staff, programs, and schools can have on a child's life. That perspective continues to guide me every time I sit behind the Board dais.

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I also bring 35 years of public service experience from my career with the Internal Revenue Service, where I retired after serving in senior leadership as Chief of Operations and Program Support. I led large organizations and complex operations and gained extensive experience in workforce planning, strategic decision-making, and organizational leadership. Those experiences have been invaluable as I have helped our district navigate difficult financial and operational challenges.

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Through it all, my priority has remained simple: students first.

Every student deserves an opportunity to discover what they are good at and build a future they are excited about. Whether that future includes a four-year university, community college, trade school, military service, or entering the workforce, our responsibility is to provide students with the education, experiences, and opportunities they need to succeed in life beyond high school.

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I am also incredibly proud to serve as Monrovia's only Latina elected official. As a Mexican American woman and the daughter of immigrants, representation is deeply personal to me. I want young people in our community to see that their background, their family's story, or the challenges they may face should never determine how far they can go.

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After eight years on the Board, I remain just as committed to our students and schools as I was on the day I was first elected. There are difficult decisions ahead for public education, and I believe Monrovia Unified needs experienced, thoughtful leadership with the judgment to make those decisions responsibly while never losing sight of the people we are here to serve.

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It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this community, and I am asking for the opportunity to continue that service.