Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School

Vamos Mendez, vamos Jaguars! We are Angelica (ELA, general education), Liliana (Social Science, SPED), and Alexis (Math, SPED) proud Jaguar maestras from Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School in Boyle Heights, California. Our school is named after the legendary education activists and social agents of change, Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez, who brought the Mendez v. Westminster court case in 1946. This case successfully desegregated California schools, making California the first state to outlaw school segregation based on race. Upholding the Mendez family legacy, as maestras we strive to continue bridging the gaps in the educational system and provide an equitable educational experience for our own students, most of whom identify as first-generation, working class, and Latinx. Though we teach different content, our pedagogy is united by creating culturally relevant, engaging, and challenging curriculum for our students. Despite the obstacles our students may face, both educationally and personally, we want to ensure that they leave our classrooms feeling empowered. Through the Hollyhock Fellowship we hope to gather tools, resources, and instructional strategies to help our students continue to grow academically and personally.