My Journey

I am a Hispanic, first generation high school and college graduate who was raised by immigrant parents in Mercedes, a small town in South Texas. I attended Texas A&I University (now A&M) in Kingsville and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education.  I eventually got married and had two beautiful daughters.

I was an elementary teacher for 12 years, and after divorcing, made the decision to go back to school to obtain my Masters in Library & Information Science from the University of Texas. In 2001, I obtained my first librarian position at an elementary campus in the Leander ISD and eventually opened 2 new elementary libraries and in 2011, became the district library coordinator in 2011 and is the role I currently serve in.

In my years as a district library coordinator, I've partnered with principals on hiring, assisted in the facilities planning for 10+ school libraries, coordinated strategic planning for library services to align with district goals, and planned and delivered professional learning for school librarians. I have also worked with our school administration to navigate book challenges, implement Texas legislative mandates and strengthen parent partnerships by increasing transparency about school library processes in our school district.

I have experience in working with district leaders and school board members on policy development and also have coordinated virtual meet-ups with district librarians and administrators who oversee their library team. It is my belief that coming together builds relationships, strengthens library services for learners and offers collaborative opportunities to learn and share. 

I have been involved with the Texas Library Association for over 20 years.  I've served in various committees and presented at the TLA Annual Conference annually.  I was selected to attend the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute in 2009 and returned as a mentor in 2019.  In 2017 I was elected as the Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) Division Chair. In this role, I coordinated committee appointment, presided over TASL board meetings, coordinated programming for the TLA Annual Conference, and represented the division as a voice in any advocacy needs.

My role in TASL is what connected me to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). In my capacity as TASL Chair, I was automatically the AASL Chapter delegate as the Texas Representative. This role expanded by professional learning network and connected me to school library leaders from across the country. 

I continued by membership in AASL serving on various committees, being elected to the AASL Board of Directors and recently as the 24-25 AASL President. In my capacity as AASL President,  AASL approved and implemented the 24-27 Strategic Plan, supported chapters in the areas of funding, librarian retention and litigation by signing on to amicus briefs, and more. The 24/25 AASL Year in Review highlights the many contributions made over my AASL Presidential year.

During my AASL Presidential year, I was a contributor to the 11th Edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual, a member of the ALA Committee  on Appointments for President Cindy Hohl,  and co-authored Prepared Libraries, Empowered Teams: A Workbook for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges Together with Val Edwards and Maegan Coffin Heindel for ALA Publishing. I also participated at the Intellectual Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., keynoted at the Sharjah School Library Conference, visited several chapter conferences and presented at ALA Annual Conference. 

As a member of ALA,  I was selected for the Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Board (2018-2020) and the Intellectual Freedom Committee (2022-2024). In February 2022, I was selected for the 4th Cohort of the ALA Policy Corp and in April 2023, I was selected for the ALA Policy Corp Book Ban Cadre. Each of these experiences expanded my advocacy impact, stretched my network reach and provided me the opportunity to build relationship with librarians of all library types within ALA and across the country. 

I've also led in-person presentations and online webinars and been invited to share my knowledge on panels, podcasts and interviews. I have also written for the Knowledge Quest Journal and KQ blog, Library Journal, and the American Libraries Magazine.

I am a co-founding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters, the first grassroots group launched in 2021 to address the censorship happening in Texas schools. Concerned about rhetoric regarding libraries and librarians in Texas, we launched a virtual Twitter takeover of the #txlege hashtag on November 4, 2021. Over 16,000+ tweets were posted on that day with participants sharing book titles, book covers and personal stories about how books impacted them as readers. 

FReadom Fighters is committed to highlighting the positive work of librarians, to speak up in support of authors and learners, and to provide professional resources for librarians, teachers or authors facing book challenges. 

Our story was highlighted by CNN in December 2021 and caught the attention of award-winning director Kim A. Snyder. She approached our team about creating a documentary as a way to tell the story of the book banning happening in Texas. As many librarians know, the book banning attempts quickly spread beyond Texas and throughout the US. This collaboration led to the creation of The Librarians,  a documentary which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival January 2025 and will be shown on PBS-Independent Lens on February 9, 2026.

I was selected for the 2022 ALA Policy Corp Cohort and received targeted training from ALA in the area of testifying before legislative committees, meeting with governmental leaders, participating in national forums, working with policy partners, and interacting with local, regional, and national media. This let to my selection for the 2023 ALA Policy Corps Unite Against Book Bans cadre, a group focused on proactive advocacy  to combat book banning and censorship in libraries.

My advocacy work led to being awarded the Outstanding Services to Libraries by the Texas Library Association, the AASL Intellectual Freedom Award and the Downs Intellectual Freedom Award in 2021. In January 2023, I was selected for People Magazine's Women Changing the World portfolio and in 2025, I was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Literary Freedom Award.

I've created a life for myself in Central Texas and raised two beautiful daughters who went through the public school system. I have watched with pride as they've built lives of their own. I also have two school-age grandchildren who I adore and enjoy spending time with. I am grateful for their endless support in all I participate in.

In my spare time, I read, cook, and enjoy watching movies. I love to travel and spend time outdoors in nature to quiet my brain. I enjoy connecting with my family and spending time with friends. Bookstores, libraries, and museums are favorite places to visit when I want to be inspired. I also like taking classes where creation is the central focus. 

Regardless of the outcome of this election,