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Hector Girón, Ph.D.

Head Administrator

​I am beginning my 40th year in the field of education, and during that time, I have
served as a Teacher, a Coach, and an Assistant Principal at the secondary and
elementary levels, as a Principal at the elementary, secondary levels, a
Director for Bilingual, ESL, and Foreign Language Programs, as a Coordinator for
College and Career Readiness and Dual Credit and as a Guest Lecturer at the
university level. I have experience working in a small semi-urban district of about
3,300 students in a medium-sized rural district of about 13,500 students and a
large urban district of about 45,000 students. Throughout my career, I have been a
dedicated student in the field of education. I have sought to become literate in the
research that grounds best instructional practices. I have focused on developing as a
human being and as an instructional leader.

​

I have been blessed to meet many wonderful human beings and outstanding
educators throughout my life who have shared their knowledge and wisdom and
have provided guidance. It is the totality of my life experiences that have led me to
focus on Servant Leadership as defined by Robert Greenleaf, “A servant-leader
focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to
which they belong. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.” My end in mind is to be remembered for the quality of service I provide to all people I contact. I look forward to serving the Raices Del Saber community.

                                                                                                                                                                       hgironadmin@raicesdelsaber.org         

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Lucia V. Carmona

Director of Operations and Community Engagement

Is a native of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, from Rarámuri (Tarahumara) ancestry, and learned to play guitar at the age of 16, and sings traditional Mexican music. Lucía has lived in Las Cruces, NM for the last 15 years. She immigrated to the U.S. where she was involved with the Bi-National Organization for Human Rights and Environmental Justice (COREF), a lead organizer for the Colonias Development Council, board president of the farmworkers Sin Fronteras Organizing Project, and the Regional Project Coordinator in Southern New Mexico for the National Immigrant Farming Initiative. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Minor in U.S./Mexico Border Studies from New Mexico State University. In January 2013, she joined Ngage NM, a nonprofit organization based in Doña Ana County, to advance an Initiative on Education from prenatal to Career Countywide as the Community Engagement Coordinator. In May 2014, she becomes a W.K.Kellogg Foundation Fellow as part of the 1st Class of Community Leadership Network Program hoping to create an interactive educational project based on Mexican indigenous tradition.  In July 2015, she became a new fellow member of the Native American Community Academy (NACA) Inspired Schools Network Program (https://www.nacainspiredschoolsnetwork.org/our-fellows). Ms. Carmona is one of the co-founders of Raices del Saber Xinachtli Community School.
                                                                                                                                  lcarmona@raicesdelsaber.org 

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Elva Varela

Office Manager

I was born and raised in Deming, New Mexico, and I have lived in Las Cruces for the last 20 years. I obtained a Business Office Technology Associate Degree from Dona Ana Community College. I bring more than 15 years of Office Manager experience, including accounts payable and accounts receivable. Before joining Raices del Saber, I worked as a bilingual Accredited Legal Representative for a grassroots community organization. As a legal representative, I determined the client’s eligibility for immigration benefits and possible bars to immigration. I assisted clients with completing appropriate immigration benefit applications and proper filing.

                                                                                                                                         evarela@raicesdelsaber.org

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Filomena Rigales (Filo)

Kindergarten  Bilingual Teacher

Hello, my name is Filomena Rigales.  I have taught for 38 years in bilingual classes in Las Cruces, Gadsden, Cobre, Canutillo, and Belen school districts and charter schools such as La Academia Dolores Huerta, and currently at Raices del Saber from DD Preschool through eighth grade.  I have taught in special education, gifted education, bilingual facilitator, and migrant summer programs.  I have been a Title I reading and Math teacher for Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in English and Spanish.  I have had training in taking Flight, Orton-Gillingham, and Esperanza multisensory reading instruction.  I have endorsements in Bilingual, TESOL, and Reading.  I love teaching and am happy to be a member of the staff at Raíces.

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frigales@raicesdelsaber.org

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Sandra Castorena

1st Grade Bilingual Teacher

Hi, 

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scastorena@raicesdelsaber.org

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Jorge Estrada

2nd Grade Bilingual Teacher

Hello

                                                                                                                                         jestrada@raicesdelsaber.org

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Sandra Castorena

1st Grade-B  Bilingual Teacher

Hello,

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scastorena@raicesdelsaber.org

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Carlos Aceves

Xinachtli Coordinator

Carlos Aceves is a co-founder and bilingual teacher at Raices del Saber Xinacthli Community School. He writes: "I have been a Texas resident since moving from Mexico with my parents at age two. Having earned a degree in mass communication, my first career was working in instructional media for fifteen years. I have now been an elementary bilingual teacher for the past 25 years. My interest in Mesoamerican history and culture inspired me to apply ancient pedagogical models to contemporary educational settings, often with great success in my classroom. This has allowed me to present at national forums such as the National Association for Bilingual Education and university settings. My novel, "Diadema", uses El Paso, Texas, as a setting to explore the mysterious and ancient archaeological site known as Hueco Tanks State Park. My other book, "Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012", has been used in classroom instruction at the University of Texas at El Paso (History), the University of Arizona (Cultural Studies), and Harvard University (Religion). Besides a school teacher, I am a research assistant and presenter for the Indigenous Cultures Institute based in San Marcos, Texas."

caceves@raicesdelsaber.org 

 

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Patricia Amaya-Holguin

2nd Grade-B  Bilingual Teacher

Hello,

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pamayaholguin@raicesdelsaber.org

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..

Hello,

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....@raicesdelsaber.org

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Alessa Ibañez

3rd Grade Bilingual Teacher

Hello,

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aibanez@raicesdelsaber.org

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Fatima Batres

4th Grade Bilingual Teacher

My name is Fatima Batres, and I am the fourth-grade teacher at Raices del Saber this school year. I have been a Bilingual teacher for kindergarten and first grade for the past 11 years in Las Cruces, NM. I have also gained experience teaching grades Kindergarten to 12th grade from substitute teaching the past year.

I moved to Las Cruces from the state of Durango, Mexico, and have been living here for the past 27 years. I also proudly attended NMSU for both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees and currently hold endorsements in Bilingual Education, TESOL, and as an Elementary Math Specialist.  

I feel very fortunate to be starting a new teaching adventure at Raices del Saber with this amazing community.

 

Thanks! 

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fbatres@raicesdelsaber.org

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Luis Ramos

5th Grade Bilingual Teacher

Hello,

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lramos@raicesdelsaber.org

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Laura Nájera

Kindergarten-A  Educational Assistant

Hello! 

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lnajera@raicesdelsaber.org

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Guadalupe-Lupita- Hernández

Kindergarten-B  Educational Assistant

Hello! My name is Guadalupe Aguirre de Hernandez. I was born on CD. Juárez Chihuahua México. There, I went to school from the elementary level to the university (UACJ), where I graduated as a Social Worker. In Cd. Juárez, I worked in the youth integration center and in two elementary schools. I have lived in Las Cruces for 21 years, and since the beginning, I have volunteered at Mesilla Park, where my four children attend. While my children were at school, I attended English classes in the afternoons; later on, I finished my GED and made the decision to enter Doña Ana Community College and study Early Childhood. It was very difficult because my first language is Spanish; during this period, I volunteered at the Doña Ana community center caring for children, also at the Children's Reading Alliance, providing daycare support to the parents while de attend to the courses “Primer Maestro” (First Teacher), also, at Engage NM and at Tombaugh Elementary School in Kindergarten and Head Start. Today I have the privilege of working at Raíces del saber Xinachtli Community School as an ICE member-Indigenous Educator Corps and be able to share all my knowledge in an enjoyable way, which motivates students to be the best version of themselves. My hobbies are enjoying time/trips with my family, reading, and walking with my pets.

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ghernandez@raicesdelsaber.org

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Anita Lara-Beckler

Movement/PE Teacher

I am an Indigenous Native New Mexican Woman.  Born and raised in the Pueblo of Tortugas, New Mexico. I am strongly connected to my community and the preservation of our cultural traditions. I am a graduate of New Mexico State University, receiving my degree in Literature, creative writing, and minor in cultural anthropology in 2009. My professional work reflects my passion for unity, empowerment, and education. 

Through my experiences at Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School, I am learning to use the natural ways of the earth and universal elements and how they can empower young leaders through education. By connecting every day with our inner fire of the heart, the fluidity of emotional waters, and the purposeful earth path of education every student and family in our community can succeed. 

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 alara@raicesdelsaber.org 

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Kayla Martínez

Art and Music Teacher

Soy Kayla Martinez, Mujer, Mestiza, Maestra, enseñando Música y Arte  at Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School. I am honored to grow as an educator in a school with a high value for the Spanish and the Nahuatl language, indigenous knowledge, and positive identity formation. I am a Nortena from El Rito Nuevo México. After High School Graduation, I attended NMSU and have since lived in southern Nuevo, Mexico, in this beautiful and complex place I have loved, La Frontera! Before being a licensed teacher, I have been an educator in Las Cruces for 12 years in many different settings. Currently, this is my 3rd year as Maestra de Arte y Música, 

   Maestra by day and Musician by night, both identities and passions I hold dear to my heart. I have been a Co-Owner of a Local band Papayas con Chile for over six years. As a musician, I am able to grow as a Guitarist, Harpist, and Vocalist. I am proud to be able to use my passions to connect to my students and my community.

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kmartinez@raicesdelsabr.org

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Diana Ginez

OST Coordinator 

Hello!!

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dginez@raicesdelsaber.org 

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Maria

SPED Teacher

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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Filomena-Filo Rigales

Instructional Couch

Hello, my name is Filomena Rigales.  I have taught for 38 years in bilingual classes in Las Cruces, Gadsden, Cobre, Canutillo, and Belen school districts and charter schools such as La Academia Dolores Huerta, and currently at Raices del Saber from DD Preschool through eighth grade.  I have taught in special education, gifted education, bilingual facilitator, and migrant summer programs.  I have been a Title I, am reading and Math teacher for students from Kindergarten through fifth grade in English and Spanish language.  I have had training in taking Flight, Orton-Gillingham, and Esperanza multisensory reading instruction.  I have endorsements in Bilingual, TESOL, and Reading.  I love teaching and am happy to be a member of the staff at Raíces.

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frigales@raicesdelsaber.org

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Sarah Herring

Reading Interventionist and Special Education Teacher

Hello, my name is Sarah Herring.  I moved to Las Cruces in 2021 from Tucson, AZ, where I lived for 15 years.  I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio.  I am the parent of a Raices student and am happy to join the teaching staff at Raices.  In Tucson, I worked as a Special Education Teacher for three years at a public K-8 Montessori school.  I am attending classes at NMSU to receive a graduate certificate in TESOL.

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sherring@raicesdelsaber.org

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Joann Aldana

Office Assistant

Hello, 

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jaldana@raicesdelsaber.org

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Elia Esparza

Food Service

Hello,

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eesparza@raicesdelsaber.org

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Genesis Valdez

OST Support Staff

Hello, 

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gvaldez@raicesdelsaber.org

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Josh Mendoza

OST Support Staff

Hello, 

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jmendoza@raicesdelsaber.org

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Alisha Betoni

FoodCorps Member

Hello, 

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abetoni@raicesdelsaber.org

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Educator Fellow-NMSU

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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ABC

Educator Fellow-NMSU

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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ABC

Educator Fellow-NMSU

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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ABC

Educator Fellow - NMSU

Hello,

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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Indigenous Educator Corps (IEC) member

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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Indigenous Educator Corps (IEC) member

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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abc

Indigenous Educator Corps (IEC) member

Hello, 

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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abc

Indigenous Educator Corps (IEC) member

Hello

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@raicesdelsaber.org

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