Dr. Mary Hudgens Henderson is a professor of Spanish and Bilingual/Bicultural Education at Winona State University. She directs the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Minor program for pre-service teachers. She taught as a bilingual classroom teacher in Colorado before doing her doctoral studies in Hispanic Linguistics. Her research areas include Spanish as a Heritage Language, Critical Language Awareness, and educación intercultural bilingüe with indigenous students in Mexico.

Kaari Berg Rodriguez has worked in a range of bilingual education settings from preschool through adult and family education. For the past twenty years she has worked at Lakes International Language Academy where she is currently the Language Acquisition Coordinator for their K-12 Chinese and Spanish immersion program and 6-12 world language programs. She earned her MA in Second Language and Cultures Education from the University of Minnesota.

Nahomi Long is an enrolledmember of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. Naomi is dedicating to revitalizing the Ojiibwe language among her tribe. Naomi has been working in Early Childhood for the past five years in an Ojibwe Immersion setting assisting young learners and their families who are striving to live a positive traditional Ojibwe lifestyle and learning the Ojibwe language. Naomi is also a co-founder and Board chair for the first three years of operation to Red Lake’s first Charter, Endazhi-Nitaawiging. She is an active participant in traditional ceremonies both in Red Lake and in neighboring Ojibwe communities where she gains her knowledge to aide her in the work she does for her tribe. 

Dr. De Zhang is currently an EL teacher in Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota. Her major interests are bilingual education, technology and language learning, and professional development. She has taught K-16 Chinese and English learners in China and the United States.  She holds valid teaching licenses in multiple areas including bilingual education.,   

Liliana Rodríguez serves as Assistant Principal at Emerson Dual Language School in Minneapolis Public Schools. Her extensive leadership in bilingual education includes her current role as part-time reviewer for the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and Chair of the Education Action Team for Latino Lead.She is also recognized as a state and national presenter on bilingual education, and previously chaired the Minnesota Advocate for Immersion Network. Liliana joins our team to support the ongoing development of Minnesota’s bilingual education landscape.