Who We Are
The DEI Task Force is a non-hierarchical body recognizing that expertise and knowledge do not only exist for those in positions of power. It is a leadership body within UICCP that works in partnership with staff, students, and families to develop our school as an anti-racist and anti-bias organization. It is intended to be a space for folx to safely voice concerns about structural practices and to continue their own unlearning with guidance. In order to be clear about the purpose and function of the DEI Task Force, the original volunteers divided current needs into four main areas:
The DEI Task Force is a non-hierarchical body recognizing that expertise and knowledge do not only exist for those in positions of power. It is a leadership body within UICCP that works in partnership with staff, students, and families to develop our school as an anti-racist and anti-bias organization. It is intended to be a space for folx to safely voice concerns about structural practices and to continue their own unlearning with guidance. In order to be clear about the purpose and function of the DEI Task Force, the original volunteers divided current needs into four main areas:
•Staff Professional Development •School Policies and Practices
•Staff Professional Development •School Policies and Practices
•Student Classroom Experience •Student Cultural Experience
•Student Classroom Experience •Student Cultural Experience
The DEI Task Force divided into these committees to make decisions around how to actively change what has existed in the past into an ABAR school, work that will continue in perpetuity.
The DEI Task Force divided into these committees to make decisions around how to actively change what has existed in the past into an ABAR school, work that will continue in perpetuity.
Nick Acosta | he/his
Nick Acosta | he/his
I am the son of both the Dominican immigrant and Puerto Rican American experiences. Only in the last 6 years have I begun to truly understand what that means as part of my identity as a Latinx person. Seeing the long lasting effects of language and cultural assimilation from my family history has shaped my perspectives on how to navigate spaces for myself and my own daughter. An interest in DIY culture and social justice has always drawn me to education, and the injustices therein. However, I continue to learn and unlearn that much of what I was taught early on in my educational career was rooted in white dominance and oppression. Going into my 13th year in the classroom I seek to really re-imagine who holds and shares the power in our space. I want my students to feel heard, understood and empowered to be able to truly create a future based on their whole selves and experiences. I want my students to view our world through a critical lens and find ways to create their space within it.
I am the son of both the Dominican immigrant and Puerto Rican American experiences. Only in the last 6 years have I begun to truly understand what that means as part of my identity as a Latinx person. Seeing the long lasting effects of language and cultural assimilation from my family history has shaped my perspectives on how to navigate spaces for myself and my own daughter. An interest in DIY culture and social justice has always drawn me to education, and the injustices therein. However, I continue to learn and unlearn that much of what I was taught early on in my educational career was rooted in white dominance and oppression. Going into my 13th year in the classroom I seek to really re-imagine who holds and shares the power in our space. I want my students to feel heard, understood and empowered to be able to truly create a future based on their whole selves and experiences. I want my students to view our world through a critical lens and find ways to create their space within it.
Meagan Bowdy | she/her
Meagan Bowdy | she/her
I identify as a white cisgender woman, the daughter of two college-educated white parents, and I grew up with not only the privilege inherent in being white but also with socioeconomic advantages not afforded to my same age peers. I attended a magnet grade school and high school from 6th-12th grade, which made me part of an outstanding program with dedicated support and encouragement for the arts. This opportunity was made possible through a selective admissions process that necessitates exclusion. I began my social justice work when I recognized that selective education should be universal education. I am entering my 9th year with UIC College Prep having started work in the SST department, taught 9th grade English for 2 years, and have now been on the College Team for the 5th year. I will never stop in my process of unlearning the characteristics of white supremacy that have benefited me in the past. I do this work because it is my responsibility to acknowledge the ways in which white supremacy has built and encouraged what I learned to understand as “success.” I do this work because “success” should not be objective and certainly not only attainable through hierarchical practices currently dictated by much of the US public education system. I do this work because I am proud to be a member of a staff dedicated to disrupting the status quo in a way that honors, uplifts, and empowers our students to share their abilities and navigate the path to their own success with confidence. I imagine a school in which students play an active role in the creation of the policies and practices that guide their time within our walls. I imagine a school in which staff are encouraged to be innovative not only within the structure of their plans but also encouraged to think outside the constraints of “what has worked in the past.” I imagine a school in which families come together in a sense of community for more than report card pick up. I genuinely believe UICCP can be that school, and I am excited to continue to work toward equity, liberation, and justice.
I identify as a white cisgender woman, the daughter of two college-educated white parents, and I grew up with not only the privilege inherent in being white but also with socioeconomic advantages not afforded to my same age peers. I attended a magnet grade school and high school from 6th-12th grade, which made me part of an outstanding program with dedicated support and encouragement for the arts. This opportunity was made possible through a selective admissions process that necessitates exclusion. I began my social justice work when I recognized that selective education should be universal education. I am entering my 9th year with UIC College Prep having started work in the SST department, taught 9th grade English for 2 years, and have now been on the College Team for the 5th year. I will never stop in my process of unlearning the characteristics of white supremacy that have benefited me in the past. I do this work because it is my responsibility to acknowledge the ways in which white supremacy has built and encouraged what I learned to understand as “success.” I do this work because “success” should not be objective and certainly not only attainable through hierarchical practices currently dictated by much of the US public education system. I do this work because I am proud to be a member of a staff dedicated to disrupting the status quo in a way that honors, uplifts, and empowers our students to share their abilities and navigate the path to their own success with confidence. I imagine a school in which students play an active role in the creation of the policies and practices that guide their time within our walls. I imagine a school in which staff are encouraged to be innovative not only within the structure of their plans but also encouraged to think outside the constraints of “what has worked in the past.” I imagine a school in which families come together in a sense of community for more than report card pick up. I genuinely believe UICCP can be that school, and I am excited to continue to work toward equity, liberation, and justice.
Violeta Cerna-Prado | she/her
Violeta Cerna-Prado | she/her
I am the daughter of two Mexican Immigrants born in Michoacan, Mexico Guadalajara, Jalisco. In the early eighties, my parents fought their way through Chicago’s public education system; one that oppressed their multicultural identities and forced them to assimilate for a “better life”. When I entered high school in 2007, the story of assimilation hadn’t changed. I left my Pilsen community for the first time at the age of fourteen with the promise of a better education. It was here where the inequities within our public education system became inherently clear. While I enjoyed planetariums and “build your own” schedules, my friends were placed in buildings that were heavily policed and void of the creativity that goes into learning. It’s within the stories found in the intricacies of my immigrant family and my lived experiences that pushed me into the classroom and continue my drive for transparency and liberation.
I am the daughter of two Mexican Immigrants born in Michoacan, Mexico Guadalajara, Jalisco. In the early eighties, my parents fought their way through Chicago’s public education system; one that oppressed their multicultural identities and forced them to assimilate for a “better life”. When I entered high school in 2007, the story of assimilation hadn’t changed. I left my Pilsen community for the first time at the age of fourteen with the promise of a better education. It was here where the inequities within our public education system became inherently clear. While I enjoyed planetariums and “build your own” schedules, my friends were placed in buildings that were heavily policed and void of the creativity that goes into learning. It’s within the stories found in the intricacies of my immigrant family and my lived experiences that pushed me into the classroom and continue my drive for transparency and liberation.
Jill Gottke | they/she
Jill Gottke | they/she
Jackie Larry | she/her
Jackie Larry | she/her
I grew up on the Southside of Chicago, spending my earliest years in the Roseland neighborhood and then later moving to the Chatham/Avalon Park neighborhood. When I recall my childhood experiences the thing that stand out in my mind the most is “community”. What I experienced as a child was a real sense of connectedness, belonging and a feeling of family that went beyond my core family unit. These early experiences shaped one of my personal core values and that is of building, engaging in and sustaining strong, authentic, safe spaces for myself and others. In my community, I had the benefit of being connected to people who validated my blackness. My earliest education and knowledge of black history and how I was connected to it came from home. Where school failed to provide me with a thorough and honest account of the black experience in America my father owned that part of our education. I remember summers spent watching the PBS documentaries “Eyes on the Prize” and “A Class Divided”. On the walls of our home were images and framed photographs of news articles and posters that celebrated the black experience. The one that stood out to me the most was a photo of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalist of the 200 m race at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Standing, heads bowed and fists raised they were a symbol of the fight for equality and justice at a time when the US was rife with racial turmoil. Their story, their stance, their experience and their choice to stand for justice is one that has been done before them and has been echoed many times after. If I could use any symbol to exemplify my “why” for doing this DEI work, that photo would be it. I do the work because justice, equality and equity matters. I am in my 4th year as the choir teacher at UIC College Prep High School, and I like to say that I am here intentionally. As a young black girl, I had the benefit of having music educators who were both black and female and whom I know paved the way for me and were my personal representation. They challenged for me that notion of a void within a void that is the absence of black women in music education. They were forerunners for a career in which I simply took on the baton. I am incredibly honored and grateful to be able to serve our school community and to use my voice and actions to impact lives and create the change that we wish to see in the world. I imagine a school where we stand apart from the status quo and lead the charge in what it really means to really be an anti-bias, anti-racist organization. Beyond hashtags, and buzzwords, I believe there is real work to be done to disrupt and tear down the mindsets, actions and systems that persist in harming us. I want to create for our students a community that felt much like what I had in my early years of life. One in which they are able to show up as their most authentic selves and receive knowledge, safety and support in a way that builds them up to continue this work beyond the walls of UICCP.
I grew up on the Southside of Chicago, spending my earliest years in the Roseland neighborhood and then later moving to the Chatham/Avalon Park neighborhood. When I recall my childhood experiences the thing that stand out in my mind the most is “community”. What I experienced as a child was a real sense of connectedness, belonging and a feeling of family that went beyond my core family unit. These early experiences shaped one of my personal core values and that is of building, engaging in and sustaining strong, authentic, safe spaces for myself and others. In my community, I had the benefit of being connected to people who validated my blackness. My earliest education and knowledge of black history and how I was connected to it came from home. Where school failed to provide me with a thorough and honest account of the black experience in America my father owned that part of our education. I remember summers spent watching the PBS documentaries “Eyes on the Prize” and “A Class Divided”. On the walls of our home were images and framed photographs of news articles and posters that celebrated the black experience. The one that stood out to me the most was a photo of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalist of the 200 m race at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Standing, heads bowed and fists raised they were a symbol of the fight for equality and justice at a time when the US was rife with racial turmoil. Their story, their stance, their experience and their choice to stand for justice is one that has been done before them and has been echoed many times after. If I could use any symbol to exemplify my “why” for doing this DEI work, that photo would be it. I do the work because justice, equality and equity matters. I am in my 4th year as the choir teacher at UIC College Prep High School, and I like to say that I am here intentionally. As a young black girl, I had the benefit of having music educators who were both black and female and whom I know paved the way for me and were my personal representation. They challenged for me that notion of a void within a void that is the absence of black women in music education. They were forerunners for a career in which I simply took on the baton. I am incredibly honored and grateful to be able to serve our school community and to use my voice and actions to impact lives and create the change that we wish to see in the world. I imagine a school where we stand apart from the status quo and lead the charge in what it really means to really be an anti-bias, anti-racist organization. Beyond hashtags, and buzzwords, I believe there is real work to be done to disrupt and tear down the mindsets, actions and systems that persist in harming us. I want to create for our students a community that felt much like what I had in my early years of life. One in which they are able to show up as their most authentic selves and receive knowledge, safety and support in a way that builds them up to continue this work beyond the walls of UICCP.
Nichelle Washington | she/her
Nichelle Washington | she/her
Since graduating from college in 2013, I have been drawn to the field of education. I have spent time as a City Year Corps Member working at Chalmers School of Excellence, a turn around school on the near west side of Chicago. I have also spent time as a Program Coordinator for Youth Guidance working with 7th and 8th graders in the South Loop community. In the 7 years I have spent in this career, I am often reminded that the experiences of black and brown students must be at the core of how we educate and engage. I hope that by engaging in this work I am able to create a space where students see themselves represented. I hope to continue to challenge the current system that asks so many students of color to abandon who they are in order to have a seat in the classroom. I abolish the educational system we have come accustomed to, and I actively work to undo the harm it has caused so many marginalized people.
Since graduating from college in 2013, I have been drawn to the field of education. I have spent time as a City Year Corps Member working at Chalmers School of Excellence, a turn around school on the near west side of Chicago. I have also spent time as a Program Coordinator for Youth Guidance working with 7th and 8th graders in the South Loop community. In the 7 years I have spent in this career, I am often reminded that the experiences of black and brown students must be at the core of how we educate and engage. I hope that by engaging in this work I am able to create a space where students see themselves represented. I hope to continue to challenge the current system that asks so many students of color to abandon who they are in order to have a seat in the classroom. I abolish the educational system we have come accustomed to, and I actively work to undo the harm it has caused so many marginalized people.
Ali Werd | she/her
Ali Werd | she/her
I grew up in Evanston, IL in a white, Jewish family. Over the last few years, I have begun to see my whiteness as a major part of my identity and to learn and unlearn all of the ways that whiteness and my privileges play into my role as a human, teacher, and a leader in our school. At the same time, I have felt othered because of my cultural Judaism in many spaces throughout my life. I strongly identify with cultural Judaism because of the role it played in bringing my family to the United States to escape persecution and the ways in which my family assimilated to white, Christian dominant culture in order to fit into American society. I see that erasure in my own family and also acknowledge that we are privileged to be able to fall into the safety net that is being white. My love of history, reading to learn other people’s stories, and belief in social justice are what drive me in doing this work as both a teacher and an instructional coach. My hope is that at UICCP we will work to disrupt the systems, policies, practices, and mindsets we have in place to ensure that all of our students and staff feel safe in our community and do not feel the need to erase parts of themselves or their histories to assimilate to White dominant culture. I hope to be a good co-conspirator to my colleagues and students who identify as people of the global majority so that we can reimagine the world as is should be- rooted in justice, equity and liberation for all people of the global majority
I grew up in Evanston, IL in a white, Jewish family. Over the last few years, I have begun to see my whiteness as a major part of my identity and to learn and unlearn all of the ways that whiteness and my privileges play into my role as a human, teacher, and a leader in our school. At the same time, I have felt othered because of my cultural Judaism in many spaces throughout my life. I strongly identify with cultural Judaism because of the role it played in bringing my family to the United States to escape persecution and the ways in which my family assimilated to white, Christian dominant culture in order to fit into American society. I see that erasure in my own family and also acknowledge that we are privileged to be able to fall into the safety net that is being white. My love of history, reading to learn other people’s stories, and belief in social justice are what drive me in doing this work as both a teacher and an instructional coach. My hope is that at UICCP we will work to disrupt the systems, policies, practices, and mindsets we have in place to ensure that all of our students and staff feel safe in our community and do not feel the need to erase parts of themselves or their histories to assimilate to White dominant culture. I hope to be a good co-conspirator to my colleagues and students who identify as people of the global majority so that we can reimagine the world as is should be- rooted in justice, equity and liberation for all people of the global majority
Christine Wong | she/her
Christine Wong | she/her
I was born in Zhongshan, China and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was six years old. For me, education was both an opportunity and a form of erasure. At an early age, I succumbed to the pressures of assimilation in order to feel acceptance and belonging at school. I replaced my home language of Cantonese with Dominant American English. I replaced my Chinese name—Wong Yee Kei, which my grandfather Gung Gung affectionately called “Kei Kei”—with a more acceptable, easier-to-pronounce English name: Christine. It wasn’t until I entered adulthood that I learned about the historical activism and contributions of Asian Americans in the United States and began to unlearn the shame of being a Chinese American immigrant. I am proud of all Asian Americans, past and present, who have left their mark by fighting in solidarity for liberation. They belonged here, as do all of us. This will be my eighth year teaching English at UIC College Prep and my second year developing Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching professional development sessions on Noble's Instructional Hedgehog Team. In my work, I seek to continuously interrogate my own mindsets and actions in order to dismantle white supremacy and seek justice, equity, and liberation for all people of the global majority. As an educator, I hope to co-create spaces where all students are valued and loved for their humanity, and where they can reimagine the world as it should be.
I was born in Zhongshan, China and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was six years old. For me, education was both an opportunity and a form of erasure. At an early age, I succumbed to the pressures of assimilation in order to feel acceptance and belonging at school. I replaced my home language of Cantonese with Dominant American English. I replaced my Chinese name—Wong Yee Kei, which my grandfather Gung Gung affectionately called “Kei Kei”—with a more acceptable, easier-to-pronounce English name: Christine. It wasn’t until I entered adulthood that I learned about the historical activism and contributions of Asian Americans in the United States and began to unlearn the shame of being a Chinese American immigrant. I am proud of all Asian Americans, past and present, who have left their mark by fighting in solidarity for liberation. They belonged here, as do all of us. This will be my eighth year teaching English at UIC College Prep and my second year developing Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching professional development sessions on Noble's Instructional Hedgehog Team. In my work, I seek to continuously interrogate my own mindsets and actions in order to dismantle white supremacy and seek justice, equity, and liberation for all people of the global majority. As an educator, I hope to co-create spaces where all students are valued and loved for their humanity, and where they can reimagine the world as it should be.