Meet Us

See above.

Is the editor of La Voz de Esperanza publication. She is a native of Austin and has lived in San Antonio since 1977, where she worked as a bilingual early childhood educator, until her retirement. She was active in the anti-war movement and Chicanx movement as a student at UT-Austin in the late 60s and early 70s where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has been involved with the Esperanza since its opening in 1987. Currently, she is a member of the PreK4SA board of directors, the Esperanza's Conjunto de Nepantlera

Rachel hails from the Appalachias. She came to San Antonio to teach at the University of the Incarnate Word and now works at San Antonio College as an adjunct professor in English.

Amy is a senior professor of law at St. Mary's University Law School and a member of the bar in Texas and New Mexico. She is a nationally recognized authority on contract law, having co-authored a widely-known text entitled Contracting Law.  Professor Kastely also has written numerous articles exploring how law is shaped by narratives of race, gender, class, and other systems of subordination. Kastely served as lead counsel in Esperanza et al. v. City of San Antonio, the first case recognizing the importance of cultural rights in public arts funding. In addition, she has represented the Esperanza and numerous community coalitions in litigation and organizing projects involving a broad spectrum of important issues, including protection of the Edward's Aquifer; the right of communities to use public streets, sidewalks, and parks for cultural events and political expression; racial bias in the City's historic preservation practices; and the public's right to witness government deliberations and to hold government officials accountable to democratic values.

Rodolfo Rosales was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. After receiving his BA from St. Mary’s University and his MA from Trinity University in San Antonio he received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He received a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Ford Foundation/NRC and now is a Senior Scholar at the Ford Foundation/NRC. In the natural course of events he was then appointed to the faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he is now retired as an Associate Professor. He is the author of The Illusion of Inclusion: The Untold Political Story of San Antonio (UT Press, 2000) and co-editor of Latino Urban Agency (Univ of North Texas Press, 2012).

is a retired educator from the San Antonio Independent School District. After having taught English at Lanier, she became an administrator - Middle School & High School Principal and Human Resources Director. She then was a Teacher Certification Officer at University at the Incarnate Word and Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Our Lady of the Lake University.

Nadine is a Lebanese-Syrian immigrant who has been working with the Esperanza to educate San Antonio and South Texas residents about the struggles in the Middle East. A translator, Nadine works to bridge the gap between “American” and “Arab American” through cultural understanding and translation, literally and figuratively. She writes for La Voz de Esperanza and speaks in the community on the plight of Arab immigrants.

Dennise Frausto is an adopted San Antonio, Westsider who was born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles California. She has lived in San Antonio for 19 years and she now calls this beautiful city home. By day, Dennise is an educator working for children with visual impairments as a braillist and is currently completing the coursework to become a certified braille transcriber by the Library of Congress. She holds degrees from San Antonio college in Child Development/Early Childhood Education and from the University of Texas, San Antonio in Mexican American Studies with minors in African American Studies and Bicultural Studies. Dennise is also a beginner in the world of writing and performing. The work she produces is pulled from lived experiences and hopes that documenting her story will change the narrative of what we know as normal. Serving as a Board member for the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will help her share these skills and knowledge with her community directly.

Sylvia Mendoza, Ph.D. was born and raised in Yanawana/San Anto. She is the daughter of Juanita Mendoza and Armando Baladez Mendoza (QEPD) who were her first teachers who modeled what it means to love and show up for your gente and to care about and document your history and cultura. From their teachings and from the femtorship of many brilliant, fierce Tejanas/x and Chicanas/x, Sylvia became interested in and dedicated to Mexican American Studies, which she currently teaches at UTSA. She lives in the Westside with her dog Freddy Fender and is excited to serve on the board, as well as serve the Westside and the larger SA community.