BIOGRAPHY
Janet Vasquez, Executive Director
My innate passion and desire to serve historically marginalized communities is driven by my own personal experiences within the education system. It wasn’t until I walked around the UCSD campus as a first generation Latinx university student, that I realized people who looked like me were far and few. I graduated from UC San Diego with a major in International Studies - Sociology and a minor in Law and Society. Upon earning my B.A. I continued my educational path at UC Los Angeles in pursuit of my M.Ed. and teaching credential. Through UCLA’s Teacher Education Program and my graduate coursework experience, I began to connect my learning of systemic racism to the inequities so deeply entrenched in our educational system. Shortly thereafter I began my career in the heart of Los Angeles’ Pico Union where I served as a founding member of a middle school team for three years.
These experiences, in addition to my K-12 experience, is what ultimately led me back home to San Diego to become a member of EJE Academies Charter School in 2010. EJEA’s mission is very much in line with my personal beliefs and I could not have found a more perfect fit. After two years of teaching in the middle school, I was encouraged to lead EJE Middle Academy as principal, which I did for ten years from 2012 - 2022. I’ve had the great privilege and honor of knowing and working with each student who has ever been a part of EJEMA. It is the alumni who return to visit and share their stories that continuously fuels my motivation to continue to serve the EJEA community.
I am committed to lifelong learning and am currently pursuing my Ed.D. as a student in the UCLA Educational Leadership Program. Through this learning and experience I hope to build my capacity in being a more impactful leader at EJEA.
As the new executive director of EJEA I look forward to working with families, students and staff as we work towards continuously improving our organization and work towards our mission. Together, I believe we will build a bridge cemented in love, justice, and joy that will allow our students to walk in their unique journey towards equitable choices and opportunities in life.
