Gabriel Sanchez is the Dean of Instruction at Education for Change.

“I see the Surge Fellowship as a mechanism for change that has no definite limits in terms of its sphere of influence, but as a manifestation of the legacies of our ancestors. A movement that combines force and cariño (care) to not only develop the academic but cultivate the human from within. I envision the Surge Fellowship as a sanctuary for people of color to reclaim their identity, heal, indigenize schools, challenge white supremacy, decolonize systems, and empower disenfranchised communities. Having traversed the field of education as a cisgender male, Latino, student, educator, and teacher educator, I have cherished the invaluable perspective and wisdom provided from folks of color as medicine and fuel. To be afforded this support, space, and expertise on a professional level would be monumental. I have aspirations to create a national replicable school model that will be centered around the work that I am doing at my current site. ”