As a Bilingual Community Engagement Coordinator, Maria creates the necessary space for bilingual parents to continue fighting for impactful changes in education all while providing them the necessary resources to become strong advocates. Having experienced firsthand the hardships that come with a language barrier and the importance of bringing forward black and brown voices, she has used her work to amplify these experiences. She studied Multimedia Journalism at Columbia College Chicago and earned her Master's in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. While in school and after graduation, Maria was a community organizer leading several youth, environmental, and social justice campaigns throughout the Southside of Chicago while reporting for Block Club Chicago, Chicago Tribune, and South Side Weekly.

Maria joined K1C with years of experience reporting, advocating, and working with marginalized communities burdened by years of inequality. Before this role, Maria worked with youth from the Far South Side of Chicago in campaigns that targeted issues in their community and directly impacted them and their families. When not out in the community, Maria spends her time cooking, reading, watching movies, being outside, and spending time with her partner and doggo named Luffy.

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