Veronica López

Being a graduate of Illinois State University, majoring in Secondary English Teacher Education I have had the privilege to work in rural, suburban and urban school districts since 2021. During my my field opportunity working for CPS and being a fellow for ISU's, National Center for Urban Education program, I have developed a strong commitment for urban education.

I begin first year of teaching at Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center teaching English 3 and AP Literature and Composition after being a student teacher there and building strong rapport with students and colleagues. My teaching framework revolves around student inquiry and community-based learning. As well as incorporating diverse texts in ELA classrooms for representation and transferable skills.

As I begin my masters studies at the University of New Mexico for their Chicana and Chicano Studies program, I aspire to publish work that can inform the development and implementation of effective strategies, policies, and procedures for the transitional phase of secondary education to post secondary education. The goal is to not just shed light on the challenges faced by Chicanx students but also to propose actionable solutions. Solutions that can dismantle these barriers and systematic exclusion of historically marginalized groups to create a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.

This research endeavor is driven by the love I had to learn to find, navigate, and adjust, for the coexisting of academia and living in a brown body.