About Us

Daughter of immigrants from Orani, Bataan and Quezon City, Christine C is an educator and community organizer with over a decade of service across public school settings and neighborhoods in Chicago and New York City. Committed to equity and civic engagement, she’s worked with organizations like El Puente (NYC) and the National Center for Urban Education of Illinois State University (Chicago) to connect community based organizations with schools, lead service-learning initiatives, and mentor future educators. Christine is a Chicago Public Schools leader and parent, and co-founder of the Filipino School of Chicago. She currently works as a case manager at a CPS elementary school.

Ginger is an educator, actor, director, producer, and community organizer. She is the founding Artistic Director of the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA), and Executive Director of CIRCA Pintig. Her work includes performing, directing, producing, and facilitating theater productions and workshops for all ages. Ginger has created youth heritage curricula with techniques that utilize a basic integrated theater arts workshop methodology as well as Activism & Art workshops, STEAM Education, and programming that support the TEAACH Act for K -12 public school educators and students.

Carla is an educator, community organizer, and fundraising professional. Born in Manila and raised in the north suburbs of Chicago, Carla identifies as a 1.5 generation Filipina who is proud to come from a working-class, immigrant family. She began organizing in 2010 with fellow undocumented youth around the DREAM Act and immigration reform and has since focused her professional work on liberatory youth work, education equity, and immigrant justice. Carla is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and is a co-founder of the Filipino School of Chicago. In her day job, she serves as the Partnerships & Grants Manager at Chicago Freedom School--a political home for Black and Brown youth rooted in anti-oppression, transformative justice, and healing justice. Beyond her professional roles, Carla is a proud mama committed to raising a liberated and community-oriented child.

Christine P. is a Chicago-born mom of two, educator, and co-founder of Filipino School of Chicago. With nearly two decades of experience in education, she has worked with students from middle school through college in both Chicago and New York City. A former classroom teacher and reading interventionist, she now serves as a Dean of Students at a high school in Chicago. After studying abroad in the Philippines and taking Tagalog classes in various cities across the country, Christine was inspired to create a space in Chicago where her own children, and other Filipino American youth, could connect with their community and build a positive multicultural identity.

The son of immigrants from Batangas, Philippines, Randy was born and raised in northern New Jersey within a large, loving family. He currently serves as a central office administrator supporting a system of urban K–12 schools, focusing on school management and performance. Randy holds degrees in industrial engineering and public policy, and his experience includes work as a Deloitte strategy and operations consultant and as a campaign operative on the Obama-Biden ‘08 and ‘12 campaigns. His work with FSC is driven by a desire to ensure his two young sons—and the next generation of Filipino Americans—experience a deep sense of belonging to our warm, joyful Filipino culture.

Gigi has been an educator for over 15 years, serving in various roles including Math, Social Studies, and Language Arts Teacher, Social Emotional Learning Coach, Assistant Principal, and Interim Principal in both Chicago and Aurora. Born and raised in Chicago, she now lives in Schaumburg with her husband and two children. Gigi is one of the co-founders of the Filipino School of Chicago, driven by a vision to create a space where Filipino Americans can strengthen their connection to their cultural roots and build community. As a mother, she was especially inspired to create a place where her own children—and others like them—could learn about and take pride in their Filipino heritage.

Erica discovered her love of teaching in 2007 after volunteering with church youth groups. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College and has worked as a Teacher and as an Assistant Director at early learning centers in the city and the suburbs. Away from the classroom, she enjoys traveling, watching musicals, and spending time with her husband and two children. Collaborating with the Filipino School of Chicago has provided her a gratifying opportunity to integrate her expertise from work and her heritage from home. She is excited to return to the city where she was born and raised to serve the next generation of Filipino-American youth.

Brittany has performed at a professional level with Filipiniana Dancers and shared her experience in college, where she was actively involved in the NIU’s Philippine Student Association’s Kilusan cultural dance group. As a Miss Asia pageant winner who showcased her dance talent on stage, she understands the power of performance and self-expression, inspiring young dancers to embrace their unique abilities and shine.  Outside of dance, Brittany works as a nurse clinical reviewer and is a mom who is eager to pass down her love for dance and Filipino heritage to the next generation.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Katrina always carried a deep love for the richness of the Filipino language and traditions. Now living abroad, she is passionate about teaching Tagalog to the community-not just as a language, but as a way to stay connected to our Filipino identity, values, and community. She believes that through storytelling and everyday conversation, she can help the next generation embrace their roots with pride and joy.

Vanessa is the daughter of Filipino immigrants from Nueva Ecija and Tuguegarao. Rizal Center was an important part of her childhood and she is happy to return to Rizal Center as a Tagalog teacher with Filipino School of Chicago. Vanessa was born in Chicago, raised in Albany Park in the 80s, and attended Bell School.  For Vanessa, public education is a key driver for collective liberation. She has served in a variety of capacities in PK-12 education across the country over the last 23 years as a teacher, literacy specialist, administrator, school leader coach, and education consultant.

Ate Claire began her teaching journey as an after-school tutor, volunteering for over five years to support students in both academic subjects and personal growth. Through these early experiences, she discovered the power of education as a tool for connection and empowerment, especially within immigrant and diasporic communities. She received her bachelor’s degree in Art History and Spanish from Saint Louis University. Her academic work centers on the intersections of art, colonial history, and cultural memory, with a focus on Marian devotion. This fall, she will be pursuing her MA in Art History at Tulane University. As a Filipina immigrant and community educator, Ate Claire is passionate about creating inclusive, culturally grounded learning spaces where young people feel seen, valued, and inspired. She believes deeply in teaching as a form of community-building and hopes to continue uplifting stories that reflect the richness of Filipino identity, history, and resilience.

Michelle holds experience teaching preschool, conducting political education and community outreach, organizing for both electoral and issue campaigns, writing about mass incarceration in the Philippines, administering and managing grants focused on violence prevention and nonprofit capacity building, and working on longitudinal research projects centered on the experiences of Asian American and specifically Filipino American youth. Tagalog was her first language, and she is thrilled to facilitate language learning and cultural connection with the Filipino School of Chicago. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, and has lived in Chicago for about a decade.

With over 20 years of experience in public Montessori education, Celine brings a deep passion for child development and a strong commitment to fostering a love of learning in young children. She has a rich background in guiding children through Montessori’s hands-on, student-centered approach. She has spent years working directly with students and families to implement Montessori principles in the classroom and at home. Born and raised in the Philippines, Celine is on a journey to reconnect with her Filipino roots and culture. This has fueled her eagerness to connect with and contribute to the Filipino community in Chicago.

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Abby Linatoc Mendoza, ATR-P (they/she) is a second-generation Filipino American multidisciplinary artist from Chicago, IL. With a BFA in Painting from the Herron School of Art + Design and an MA in Art Therapy & Counseling from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Abby’s work in non-profit community youth/art education spaces informs their art, which primarily depicts children. Their process involves collage, found object, mending/sewing techniques, and oil painting, bringing together techniques learned from formal, “traditional” education with explorations of recycled/craft materials. Through self-reflexive artwork that examines memory and the act of archiving/collecting, Abby aims to create dialogue on building systems of care.

Jazlyn has been volunteering with youth since 2019, whether that be tutoring students in academic subjects or providing one-on-one mentorship for leadership and personal development. In her college years, she was heavily involved in her Filipino cultural organization (OYFA at UVa), creating programming centered around inclusivity, celebrating Fil/Fil-Am history and heritage, or just coming together as a community. With these experiences, Jazlyn has developed a passion for education and community-building, and she was so excited to see these passions converge at the Filipino School of Chicago. As a teacher, Jazlyn hopes to empower youth through culturally responsive programming and advocacy. As a community member, she hopes to help maintain the joy of uniting under a shared identity.

Donna started performing with the Filipiniana Dancers in 2005, where she was able to perform at multiple events throughout the Chicagoland area. Her passion and experience for dance grew as she performed at special events and competed in Battle of the Bamboo. In college, she choreographed and taught as a co-coordinator of FIA Cultural. She grew closer to her Filipino culture, and had fun expressing it through dance. Donna is excited to teach folk dancing to today’s youth, in hopes they will also love learning about their culture through the art of dance.

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Cristina has a drive for working with young people and helping them find their voice. As a high school educator in special education, she works to create an inclusive environment in her school community including sponsoring the AAPI club at her school. Her love for dance came from 15 years of classical ballet training. At Saint Louis University, she became passionate about cultural dance as she served on the executive board for the Filipino Student Association and participated in Battle of the Bamboo competitions. As a mom and someone who values community and her Filipino American identity, she is thrilled to join the FSC team to foster connection through the art of dance.

Isa has been dancing for over 6 years, exploring various Filipino cultural dances while developing a strong passion for performing, storytelling, research, and the arts. She was involved with Isang Hakbang in high school and led PSA Barkada as its Co-Cultural Chair in 2023-2024, performing at UIUC’s FACT Conference and Battle of the Bamboo. She also enjoys teaching Bulaklakan and Maglalatik at the Rizal Center. Isa is currently a senior majoring in Asian American Studies at UIUC and is incredibly excited to work with the Filipino School of Chicago to use our history and heritage for growth and empowerment. She loves using dance as a dynamic form of connecting with Filipinx culture, and hopes that each move and each step will bring our community closer together.

J.C. Subida is a Senior Software Developer at Northwestern since 2016, leading the software development for multiple grant-funded studies. Skilled in Swift, Python, JavaScript, Docker, Celery, MongoDB, and Couchbase, he’s built secure APIs, iOS apps, and microservices. Prior to research, he gained valuable experience from the startup world and holds a CS degree from UIUC. Active in  Filipino School of Chicago and US-RSE, he’s dedicated to tech innovation and community growth.

Stacy has over 25 years of experience in Filipino folk dancing. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, she performed with the Filipiniana Dancers in her youth. Stacy taught cultural dance in high school and college at Saint Louis University, Filipino Student Association and participated in Battle of the Bamboo. Stacy dedicates her professional life as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker supporting older adults and their family caregivers. As a new mother and second-generation Filipina, she is excited about fostering intergenerational learning and sharing Filipino dance traditions.

Lisa has over 25 years of experience working with children as an art teacher, and an early childhood teacher in both Waldorf and Montessori programs. With a background in the fine arts and an ongoing practice of making and showing her paintings, (a member of Sinag Art Group-Filipino American artists of greater Chicago) Lisa brings a deep creativity to her work as a teacher. The Waldorf traditions of storytelling and puppetry have captured her heart and she brings these artistic traditions to life in the classroom. Her calm and grounded energy, sense of humor, and kind ways are hallmarks of her work with children.