Welcome, Alex!
We are excited to introduce Alexandria Ledesma Duarte as our new Bilingual Liaison. Alex assists Spanish-speaking families to ensure access to the services and support they need for their children’s successful educational journey.
Most of the time, you can find Alex at the District Office and Welcome Center, where she greets and aids new families during the student enrollment process. She also attends district meetings and visits school sites, where she translates information and documents from English to Spanish, and answers any questions families may have.
Although her primary responsibility is translation, Alex says, “Families can ask me anything. I will get to the bottom of whatever they are looking for.”
Growing up, Alex’s family instilled the importance of education, and she became the first in her family to graduate from high school and is working towards getting her associates degree in business administration. Coming from a migrant family, she understands the challenges faced by Spanish-speaking families in educating their kids.
Alex recalls, “I saw my parents struggle and do the best they possibly could to support me with the resources they had.”
Her experiences in life have driven her to become an advocate for equitable educational opportunities and to bridge that gap for Spanish-speaking families in the community. She recognizes the benefits of having resources in one’s native language.
Alex was born and raised in Kelseyville, where she saw her aunt, Elvira Ledesma, supporting Spanish-speaking families as an employee at Kelseyville Unified.
Alex said, “Seeing how much she has helped others, I wanted to do the same.”
If there is one thing Alex can’t emphasize enough, it’s that families do not need to be nervous about asking her questions or for any type of support. She describes herself as friendly, loving, and understanding.
She said, “I am here to help families get more involved in their child’s education and help them understand the true meaning and power of school, so their children can exceed in life.”