Chicago | Administrative Director, IL Coalition for Higher Education in Prison
Institute on Public Safety & Social Justice
Flor Esquivel’s social justice advocacy and civic engagement includes a range of work including leveraging the social development of immigrants and housing services, while also improving access to social services for individuals in need. She was the founder of the Dream Act School Program, a program that creates awareness on current immigration issues, passes immigration reform, and fundraises for college scholarships at her alma mater Thomas Kelly High School. As part of this work and as Board Vice-President of the Brighton Neighborhood Council, Flor also advocated for an expungement act and juvenile court jurisdiction for classmates affected by the juvenile justice system.
In 2010, Flor joined Mujeres Latinas en Accion where she built their social media online presence and effective strategic relationships. In 2012, Flor returned to Brighton Park Neighborhood Council to create and advance community schools at her alma mater high school. As a staff of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and under the Community Schools Initiative, Flor built and designed programs and events to ensure equity and access for all students and their family members.
In 2016, she joined Northeastern Illinois University to support the pathway of high school students to college. As a College Access Facilitator, Flor organized, created, and planned programs, workshops, and events to increase college enrollment for underserved youth.
During Flor’s spare time, she enjoys supporting and giving back to two organizations she was a scholarship recipient of Chicago Scholars and Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Flor is currently in the process of writing her first young adult book around the issues of education in rural villages in Mexico. Her book is a commentary on Public health with a political system overview of Mexico’s last 100 years.
Flor is passionate about access and equity for all. She demonstrates this in her everyday actions with a YES YOU CAN attitude, always with a sense of humor, and a strong mindset and determination.
In May 2021, Flor accepted the position of Founding Administrative Director for the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, where she works to advance the mission and vision of the coalition to bring alternatives to the current system of mass incarceration.
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