Iliana Miranda is the Assistant Director of Advising and Student Retention, Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services at the University of Illinois at Chicago
“I choose Surge because fighting for equity in schools has always been and will always be the right work. I want to be in a community of people that believe this too. Surge comes at a crucial time in my career; in my roles, I have primarily worked with and supported youth at the individual level, however, I am now in a role where I can advocate for institution-level change that supports BIPOC communities. Through Surge, I will strengthen my leadership and grow in my confidence to lead with intentionality and a sense of accountability. I’ve aspired to be a part of the Surge movement because it is a community where I don’t have to figure it out alone, a movement where my identities are seen and celebrated, and where I will be poured into and build capacity in others. I find myself in a season where I am actively unlearning what does not serve me and my community and reclaiming individual and collective strengths, I look forward to continuing to grow in this way with the Surge community.”