About Me

Early Years

Born in Tampico, Mexico.

My family comes from Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Nuevo Leon, but mainly from Tamaulipas.

I enjoy genealogy, and I've worked on my family tree for years. I took an indigenous DNA test, and it revealed that I'm predominantly Nahñu-Otomi.

My great-grandfather, Rodolfo, along with his brothers, came from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and went to Tampico, Mexico, to start a furniture factory. On one side of the factory were the family apartments. The photo above shows just a few family members. On the left is my dad, who is currently living in Madero, Mexico. My abuela is in front of my dad. And my dearest, most-beloved abuelo is laughing. My step-mother, Beatrice, is next to him, and my sister, Rosie, is looking up at them. I'm in the center. I'm about 9 years old in this photo.

Me at 7.

Standing up for What I believe- It's a Family Affair.

Luis De La Rosa

My great-great-grandfather, Luis De La Rosa. American newspapers called him a "Bandit," but he was a general in the Mexican army who wrote the Plan de San Diego. He was written about alongside Villa and Zapata in U.S. Congressional Records. I credit him and my mother for our strong sense of Social Justice.

I've lived on 36th and Rogers for almost 20 years. Here's a neighborhood meet-up I organized to discuss our concerns with local leaders. You can see me with my husband in the center by the tree.

Teaching What I Believe

Here's a photo of my children protesting at the federal building in Milwaukee. It was a great experience for all of us. From when they were born, and to this day, we talk about social justice and speaking out when we see unfair treatment of others.

Here's an article quoting me when I spoke at a conference in Madison. The central theme of my speech is that it's our business to care about each other.

Family

I'm married to Serjio (Mando) Navejar. We have five children. This is an old, but favorite photo of mine. Ask me what I love more than anything in this world, and I'll tell you it's my family. My daughter, Rebecca (far right), died in May of 2019. I miss her every day. I wrote a bit about her and my sadness. On the far right is a photo of my grandson, (Rebecca's son), Elijah. He has autism, and he's the coolest kid. I look forward to our weekly Sunday visits.

Ofrendas- Remembering those we lost is a common experience.

I've created ofrendas at home. Here's one I did a few years back.

I was an AP at Bradley Tech High School. I asked community members to share photos of their loved ones and students who have passed away. I installed this community ofrenda at the Walker's Point Center for the Arts. My husband built the structure. My sister, Rosie, created the Cempasúchil. Each hanging card had the name of a loved one.

During one of the COVID years, I installed an ofrenda in the window of Bradley Tech. At night, people who passed by 3rd and National could see it through the window.

What I like

I saw Los Tigres del Norte two times at the Pabst. Awesome experience.

I went to the Juanes concert last year. Loved it. I also like Maná. Here is my Spotify playlist of what I'm currently listening to.

I'm trying to learn pottery. The key word is "trying." This is my second cup/pot.

I took a Roman mosaic class. Here is a sample of one of the items I made.

Favorite sushi- Gozilla rolls from Kyoto.

Phở from Vientiane on 35th and National.

Every kind of Mexican food I can get at.

Turkish coffee or any kind of really strong coffee.

I'm currently watching, Me robaste el corazón, on Peacock.

My wedding flower is the gerbera daisy.

Dracaena trifasciata or a snake plant.

I like Topo Chico with ice and a lime. I've been trying to stay away from Diet Coke, but...

All time favorite book. I tried to watch the series-didn't like it.

Our family goes to Tu Casa on Lincoln. Otherwise we also go to Guadalajara on 10th street.

Favorite food truck on Burnham- Mexicano Express.

Favorite play is Waiting for Godot. I'm going with my husband and sons to see it in New York in December.

You can see what kind of day I had by how many empty spoons are next to me.

I can dig through a whole bag.

I find eating this ironic, lol.

Paleta de limón and chicharrones de harina with a splash of Valentina will make a day just right.

Favorite coffee place- Qamaria Yemeni coffee co., in Greenfield.

Favorite book store-- Boswell Book Company. I try to support local book sellers.

Favorite ancient Greek philosopher and work- Plato's Myth of the Cave. It still stands today.

Favorite cartoon character- Snoopy.

Facts about me.

Mariachi music always makes me cry. And if it's Amor Eterno, it's over.
Favorite fruits are bananas, strawberries, and pineapples. My favorite vegetable is jicama with lime.
I enjoy visiting thrift stores. My favorite one is in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
I was the youngest DJ in Milwaukee in the early '80s. I had an hour spot on the Manny Mauldin Blues show, 88.9 WYMS. I was 14 years old. I had an internship at WQFM, and I had dreams of being a radio announcer. I learned a great deal from spending time with the marketing department.
I spend 99.9% of my day in the hallways or classrooms.
I dislike seeing bullying behavior. If I see covert or overt bullying, I get sad, and then I need to talk about it to try to fix the problem.
I believe in Servant Leadership. It's not about the Me--it's about the We.
I also believe in the Shared Leadership model. As a team, we need to discuss what shared leadership means.
What you see is what you get. I don't have any hidden agendas. I don't do power trips. I try as hard as I can to listen with an open heart and an open mind.
I need people to call me out if they feel that I was in the wrong. After meetings, I like feedback. How can I do better?
My face doesn't always show what's in my heart. Sometimes people ask me if I'm angry. That's just my face. 99% of the time, I'm pretty chill and just thinking too much.
I would appreciate it if people could share their thoughts and opinions with me. Let me know your style of collaboration.
My ultimate role model is my abuelo, Raúl. He was a quiet man. He showed me it's not what you say, but it's what you do that matters. The invisible of what's in our hearts can be seen in our everyday visible actions. I try to live by his example and make him proud every day.

What's Next?

Together, we'll discuss goals and concerns.
At the 2/13/2025 School Achievement and School Innovation committee meeting, there was a proposal to create the ALBA Targeted Support Plan. Let's meet to talk about what this could look like.
- What are our goals, desired outcomes, and how will we measure success?
- We need clear timelines and accountability measures.
- We need an action plan to ensure that teacher and parent voices are heard and visible.
We'll set up meeting dates, times, and locations soon.
My cell phone number is 414-491-3731, and my email address is navejara@milwaukee.k12.wi.us. Feel free to contact me at any time.
I will be enrolling in an IB Leadership program at DePaul University.

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