Jessica was born in Panama City, Panama, but raised in the Bay Area for most of her life. She loves the diversity that is found in our region and also realizes the importance of being an agent of change for equity. She has been teaching in early childhood education for twelve years in a variety of roles, from teacher's aide to behavioral therapist to classroom teacher. Jessica has a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from California State University, East Bay.