Emily Francis was born and raised in Guatemala. As the oldest sibling, she was often the caretaker for her younger sisters and brother. After a two-month journey to the U.S. with just her siblings and a coyote she was reunited with her mother. At 15 she enrolled in a U.S. high school, where her love of learning and lack of English came to a head. Emily has continuously used her struggles in the U.S. school system as opportunities to pivot and continue moving forward. After earning her Master’s in Teaching ESL, Emily achieved her dream of becoming a teacher.