Lucy Montalvo is originally from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, living half her life in Puerto Rico and the other half in the United States. She worked in education for 16 years, 5 years teaching World Language at the elementary level, and 7 years as a 2nd-grade dual language teacher (Spanish side). She acted as the lead teacher for the dual language program. As a community activist and educator, she brings expertise in multilingual and culturally relevant curriculum development and implementation. Lucy has a bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from the University of Puerto Rico, a Master's in Educational Leadership from Penn State, and has a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Bilingual Studies from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. Lucy served as President for the Virginia Dual Language Educator Network (VADLEN) from 2021-2023. She is the co-author of a bilingual children's book, EL ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña/The ABCs of Puerto Rican food. Lucy is currently the director of Starr Hill Pathways, a youth program from The Equity Center at UVA serving rising 7th to 12th graders from Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Public Schools. This program leads students to explore career and college options, and provides academic and mentoring support along with internship opportunities, supporting students holistically through this journey.