Emilia is an experienced educator specializing in English Language Arts and Bilingual Education. With over a decade of service in public education, she has developed culturally responsive and inclusive resources and curricula that celebrate the strengths of multilingual and multicultural students. She holds a Master of Arts in Bilingual & Bicultural Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Secondary Education from Hunter College.

As a former high school teacher, Emilia exclusively taught newly arrived immigrant and multilingual students, focusing on their social-emotional development to achieve academic success. Her work is shaped by her personal experience growing up undocumented for 20 years in NYC. She believes that educators have tremendous power and influence over students’ lives, and this power must be wielded responsibly to benefit all school community members.