She has served as an elementary and middle school teacher, a district administrator, an English language learner program consultant, and a public speaker on issues related to student engagement and teaching in diverse classrooms. She has lived, taught, and studied in New York, California, and Pennsylvania, becoming actively involved in advocating for the passage of educational policies and funding formulas for the betterment of urban schools and English language learners. She earned her Ph.D. in Intercultural Education from Biola University and her Masters in Elementary and Bilingual Education from SUNY Buffalo. Video of ASCD Author Pérsida Himmele