The moment to act is now. Public education is under attack with the loss of federal funding, teacher burnout, and families fearful of ICE. The ongoing affordability crisis is hurting our kids’ futures and our families’ ability to stay in Glendale. Our Glendale community can’t afford to sit this one out.

As a mom of three, a renter, and a daughter of immigrants with children in GUSD elementary schools, I have a personal stake in ensuring our schools thrive—not just survive. I have the professional experience to do just that. We are living in a pivotal time where decisions we make today will determine if a quality public school system exists tomorrow.

I work with vulnerable youth populations and have family members with special needs. Recent news about the arrest of a contracted employee shook our GUSD community. My heart and support are with the families impacted by this incident. These are incidents that happen far too often.

I supported SB 848, The Pupil Safety: School Employee Misconduct and Child Abuse Prevention Act, which went into effect January 1st 2026.

This law requires districts to update comprehensive school safety plans by July 1st, 2026 to include:

• Procedures specifically designed to address supervision and protection from child abuse and sex offenses

• Expanded crime assessment on campuses

• Broader definitions of sex offenses

• Strengthened hiring and disclosure requirements

• Mandated reporter expansion to contractors and certain volunteers

• Annual training and prevention education

• Adoption of written policies that promote safe, easily supervised learning environments

As Trustee, I will make sure that GUSD:

1. Conducts a comprehensive review of contracting oversight to ensure contracted staff meet the same supervision, training, and accountability standards as district employees.

2. Adopts an “observable and interruptible” standard for adult-student interactions — particularly in special education settings — so supervision is built into the physical and procedural environment.

3. Clearly communicates to families and staff what immediate safeguards are triggered the moment allegations arise.

The current system has failed our communities and must be dismantled. ICE should be replaced with a humane immigration framework that centers human dignity, protects civil liberties, while focusing resources on legitimate public safety threats.

Having worked at the U.S. Department of Justice alongside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during President Obama’s administration, I have learned a great deal on upholding civil liberties and privacy of every individual, whether they are citizens or not. I believe our immigration system should prioritize humane policies that recognize the dignity of families and provide a clear pathway to citizenship so people, especially children, are not subjected to unnecessary trauma through deportation.

The presence of ICE in our neighborhoods and around school communities creates unnecessary fear and instability that disrupts a student’s ability to focus on learning, growing, and exploring the world. At the same time, immigration enforcement should focus on credible public safety threats and be carried out with transparency, accountability, and respect for due process. Our policies should reflect both our commitment to safety, without disruption to our educational system, and our values as a nation, that’s built by immigrants, that welcomes immigrants.

With my background in public health, I understand how Medicaid cuts, school absenteeism, and access to care impact student learning.

Health and wellness aren’t ‘extra’—they’re essential. I’ll fight for school-based wellness programs and the funding to pay for them to ensure our schools address the whole child.

Healthy students are present students. We cannot close opportunity gaps without first closing the wellness gap.

As a Filipina-American mother raising multicultural children rooted in Armenian and Filipino Heritage in Glendale, I know what it means to bring different communities together for a shared future.

I’ve brought together parents, union members, students, and community leaders to solve hard problems with integrity and respect.

I’ve managed multimillion-dollar budgets during times of deficit. I know how to stretch every public dollar for maximum impact.

While the federal government disinvests, I’ve successfully secured grants and generated new revenue streams for local schools—and I’ll do it again.

We are navigating a financial storm. I bring the steady hand and expertise we need to weather it together.

This isn’t about a title. This is about service. My life’s work has always been in stepping into the fire when our community needs me most. Guided by my faith in God, I draw strength to serve our school community with wisdom, empathy, and compassion.

I’m not here to build a political resumé- I’m here to make sure our children inherit stronger, healthier, better-funded schools.