Data Management Specialist
After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics as a first-generation college graduate, Jessika began teaching high school for Oklahoma City Public Schools and later became an instructor for adult learners on their journey to obtain their high school equivalency diplomas. This was the next natural step after having taught middle school, serving as a tutor and mentor at a local Latino community development center, and working for the city’s downtown public library during her undergraduate. These roles provided Jessika meaningful experience and knowledge about the diverse communities she would now always work to serve.
Attending a high school where most of the students, like herself, were students of color and came from low-income homes, Jessika was auto-enrolled in rigorous AP courses and did not realize at the time that this educational access was not the norm. The charter school she attended challenged her and her peers, and it was not until she started college and began teaching students with similar backgrounds that she really began to see the inequities and lack of support in already marginalized communities.
Jessika found that EOS’ mission was the culmination of the values that she held. EOS has identified an issue that came about as a result of racial and socioeconomic inequities and made this problem actionable. In a Ted Talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Teresa Nance said, “We begin to eliminate racism when we make racism our problem,”—words which reinforced to her that EOS is the right place for her to be.
