Vanessa lives on the ancestral homelands of the past and present Odawa, Bodwêwadmi, & Peoria people, known as Michigan. She’s from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. with her family at the young age of 3. She grew up near blueberry fields and along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan in Dutch town Holland. Vanessa is a native Spanish speaker reconnecting with her Mexican indigenous roots. She has found her life passions at the intersections of education, social justice, mental wellness, and cultural dances. Vanessa adventures outdoors (traveling to 28 states and 15 national parks) and through hiking, mountain biking, & kayaking. Her healing spaces are journaling, poetry, & circles of powerful women/BIPOC.