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Perspective | Reclaiming identity by uplifting Latine voices in education

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LatinxEd envisions education systems that recognize, meet, and respect the diverse needs and strengths of Latine families. This vision stems from the lack of representation many Latine students experience in schools. Too often, their identities, cultures, and languages are overlooked, dismissed, or suppressed. As the Latine population continues to grow — Carolina Demography projects growth of 1.6 million by 2035 — Latine education advocates and allies are accepting LatinxEd’s call to action: to recognize and uplift the cultural identities and brilliance of our Latine students.

Randy Meisenhelder, Assistant Principal at Spring Creek High School, with Wayne County Leaders at the 2024 Latine Education Summit. Image via LatinxEd/AV Creatives.

Randy Meisenhelder, Assistant Principal at Spring Creek High School (SCHS), took up this challenge after attending the 2024 Latine Education Summit. This Summit is a statewide gathering of Latine leaders and education champions dedicated to advancing Latine student success. At the opening of the summit, LatinxEd Fellows present “Yo Soy” poems — poems that reflect each Fellow’s vision for education equity, rooted in their personal identities and lived experiences. The power of these stories resonated deeply with Randy, inspiring him to bring the “Yo Soy” spirit back to his school during Latine Heritage Month.

Josue Cordova, a 2024 LatinxEd Fellow and Co-Executive Director of ISLA, speaking at the 2024 Latine Education Summit. Image via LatinxEd/AV Creatives.

Leading a school where 65% of the student population are Latine, Randy’s mission has become to foster community, empathy, and a positive racial-ethnic identity among his students at SCHS. With the support of Andrea Freile, 2022 LatinxEd Fellow and Family Engagement & Communications Coordinator for Wayne County Public Schools, Randy coordinated a Spanish-speaking event on October 7, 2024 at SCHS that beautifully reflected LatinxEd’s core values: amor, belonging, courage, dignity, and esperanza. Together, they invited 14 Latine community leaders — including LatinxEd Fellows and partners — to share their stories of navigating education in the United States and empower students to take pride in their cultural identities.

Latine community leaders at the “Yo Soy” event at Spring Creek High School in Wayne County. Image via Andrea Freile.

Among them was Josue Cordova, a 2024 LatinxEd Fellow and Co-Executive Director of ISLA, who debuted his “Yo Soy” poem at the Summit. In his poem, Josue recounts the challenges he faced upon arriving in the U.S. as a teenager from El Salvador, where inequitable education systems led him to feel ashamed of his story and his cultural roots. These barriers eventually caused him to drop out of school. But through perseverance, Josue returned to education, eventually earning a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

When Randy witnessed Josue’s “Yo Soy” presentation at the Summit, he knew his students at Spring Creek High School needed to hear this powerful story of heartbreak, resilience, and self-efficacy. Josue’s story exemplifies the transformative power of storytelling. At the close of SCHS’s “Yo Soy” event, a high school sophomore, Pedro De Luna, approached Josue, expressing admiration for Josue’s poem and asked Josue to read his own work. This heartfelt moment illustrates the profound impact that culturally affirming spaces can have on students’ lives.

As America Ferrera powerfully stated in her 2021 TED Talk, “…my identity is not my obstacle. My identity is my superpower.” At LatinxEd, we are committed to continuing this vital work, supporting Latine youth and education leaders as they heal and reclaim their identities and use their cultural strengths to transform the future of education in North Carolina. Together, we will continue to create spaces that honor and celebrate the vibrancy of our Latine youth’s identities, cultures, and languages.

Mirella Cisneros Perez

Mirella Cisneros Perez is a proud Mexican immigrant and first-generation college graduate who serves as the Program and Curriculum Specialist at LatinxEd. In her role, she helps cultivate a trusted network of Latine education leaders in North Carolina through the LatinxEd Fellowship program. Cisneros Perez’s commitment to working with the Latine community is deeply rooted in her journey of growing up undocumented, and attending and teaching in public schools. Cisneros Perez attended Elon University as an Odyssey Scholar and Teaching Fellow. Her mission is to help create culturally sustaining education systems where Latine families can thrive.