These Women are Dope Series. Featuring Christian
Here lately, I’ve been looking for any reason to CELEBRATE. Truthfully, 2021 has been the first time I’ve INTENTIONALLY celebrated Black History month for the ENTIRE month and the first time I have ever even THOUGHT about acknowledging Women’s History Month. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that…. both of these months are who I am every single day. I am a woman… and I am Black. I am a Black woman. I am Black history in the making. I am history in the making. And guess what?! SO. ARE. MY. FRIENDS.
So, I wanted to take this time to shout out some amazing women. WOMEN THAT I LOOK UP TO. Yes, I look up to my friends, that’s a thing.
Sometimes women, especially BIPOC women, do NOT give themselves enough credit and enough praise. So this entire blog post series is to highlight some of the work and words from people who show up and kill it day in and day out.
I am super excited to highlight Srta. Mora! I had the pleasure of working with her my very first year of teaching back in 2015. She was actually my team leader (a bomb one! who literally pushed me, as a first year teacher to be THE best I could be for myself and for my students ) and I’ve looked up to her since! She’s everything, y’all.
Full-time teacher, doctoral candidate and kills it in the gym and kitchen! I am HONORED to know her.
Here we go!
Christian Mora
Hometown:
Chicago
Occupation: Educator
I’m Christian! I was born and raised in Chicago. Being a Chicagoan comes with a lot of pride. We go hard for our city. I was born into a beautiful vivacious Mexican family that taught me the value of hard work, family connection, and being proud of our culture. It is these values that have continued to keep me grounded as I encounter new chapters in my life. I would consider myself somewhat of a nomad. After attending high school in Chicago I moved to Greencastle, Indiana to pursue my undergraduate degree in Sociology at DePauw University. After graduation I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and began my career as an educator as part of the 2013 Teach For America Corps. (yes, SWOmie!)
After 3 years in Ohio I ventured out to New York where I continued teaching middle school science in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and working towards pursuing my Masters in Sociology and Education at Columbia University. I currently find myself in Los Angeles, California pursuing my Doctorate in Education Leadership at USC WHILE in my 8th year of teaching middle school science.
What is your why?
As a first generation college student I felt utter culture shock when I arrived on campus. In my first interaction with a peer I asked, “What class did you take to learn how to speak like that?”. My peer seemed baffled by my question and I was baffled by his reaction. I had never met someone my age that had spoken so eloquently. I thought that they must have taken a class to learn how to speak that way. In my community and among my family I was seen as an example of the “American Dream”, but on my college campus I felt farther away from that dream. I felt like a fraud and was ashamed that I was not equipped with the same skills my peers had prior to arriving on campus. #impostersyndrome
My personal and professional experiences as an educator have highlighted the undeniable necessity of a marriage between academic rigor and cultural relevance. As an educator I want to influence schools to not sacrifice academics in the name of culture, but rather use cultural relevance to enhance academics. Students of color should not only be academically prepared to take on rigorous coursework, but also confident in their experiences and perspectives that contribute to the college campuses they attend. (*SNAPS FINGERS*)
I strive to create an educational landscape within which students of color are both culturally and socially empowered to break the cycles of educational inequity without sacrificing the value that they place on their own culture. (*say it again!*)
What Brings you joy?
I feel the most joy when my mind is at ease. When I can enjoy time with the people I love or even time with myself without having to worry about my to do list. Lately I have been finding joy in the little things such as my morning routine, savoring my green tea in the mornings, connecting with friends through memes, quality time with my boyfriend, chisme with my mom and sister. I am trying to find joy in all my goals whether that be in school, health/fitness, and career . I am currently going through a busy time in my life as I start the dissertation process so I have been working on finding joy in a process that can feel pretty daunting at times.
I read something on social media the other day that said something along the lines of you are currently going through what you once prayed for…. This post stuck with me and reminded me of how far I have come. We spend so much time worried about what's next that we do not take time to celebrate how far we have come. It's important to treat ourselves with compassion and give ourselves some grace. I challenge you to find your joy in your process, celebrate your progress, and lean on your tribe when life might feel too heavy.
What has been your favorite project so far?
I am currently on my self love journey. In a sense I am my own project. I am working on how to embrace my imperfections and being confident in my own unique genius. I am interested in creating an Ebook with tools that have been helpful in my journey. I am passionate about creating a community among women that empower one another through our stories.
“I am open to all of the wonderful gifts the universe has to offer. “
- Christian Mora
Phewwwwww! Such an inspiration! More to come this week!
Thank you, Christian for sharing your words! Your story is your power!
#youbelonghere
