Faculty Spotlight | Reyna Garcia-Ramos

"Bilingual education made a difference in my life, and it continues to make a difference in the lives of our English learners today."

Dr. Reyna Garcia-Ramos, associate professor of education at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), has been a phenomenal advocate for bilingual education in her role as an officer of the GSEP chapter of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE). Previously, Garcia-Ramos was director of legislative affairs for CABE from 2006 to 2008. In fact, CABE presented her with a special award in honor of her service, which has included raising funds for teachers and presenting at the Association of Mexican American Educators annual conference.

Garcia-Ramos has worked in bilingual classrooms throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District, and designed culturally relevant curricula for Spanish-speaking immigrants now living in California. She is the secretary of the Bilingual Education Research Committee of the American Educational Research Association, and has utilized her bilingual skills as an expert witness for the California Superior Court.

Garcia-Ramos explains that her efforts are driven by personal experience: "Bilingual education made a difference in my life, and it continues to make a difference in the lives of our English learners today."