We’re so glad to officially welcome three new members of the SA2020 Board of Directors. Araceli, Elvira, and Misty have a wealth of experience and a love for San Antonio, and we know they’ll be such great assets to Team SA2020. Learn more about each of them below!
Araceli Garcia is a native of the South Side and the daughter and granddaughter of Mexican immigrants. While an undergraduate at Stanford, Araceli returned to San Antonio during the summers to work with RAICES, aiding detained immigrants seeking asylum. After graduation, she worked with Intercultural Development Research Association (an SA2020 Nonprofit Partner!) as an inaugural IDRA Education Policy Fellow, identifying and pursuing laws and policies at the local and state level that ensure equitable, excellent public schools for emergent bilingual and immigrant students. Currently, Araceli is a University of Texas School of Law student interested in immigration law, public defense, and education equity.
Elvira Leal serves as the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Community Relations at the University of Texas at San Antonio. A first-generation college student herself, Elvira is a product of the community college experience by way of El Centro and Alamo Colleges. She then received both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from UTSA. Clearly a lifelong learner, Elvira is a student at the Oblate School of Theology and is pursuing her master’s in pastoral ministry. At UTSA, she oversees the UTSA Westside Community Center and engages the community with creative partnerships, meaningful connections, and innovative opportunities.
Misty Garcia is a problem-solver, a data professional, and a community activist. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from St. Mary’s University, she worked as an electronic warfare engineer for over eleven years. When she decided she wanted to dive into something she was more passionate about, she attended a six-month boot camp at Codeup and received a certificate in Data Science. Misty currently works as a Data Science Instructor at Codeup herself. She is also working toward a Masters of Public Health with a focus in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to serving on the SA2020 Board, Misty serves on the Board of Avow Texas (another SA2020 Nonprofit Partner!).
