KELLY GARCIA

Vice Chairwoman of Chelsea School Committee

Special Education Teacher, Excel Academy
Heritage: Puerto Rican
Age: 25

Born in a household of five children and two loving parents, Kelly learned the true definition of hard work by witnessing her parents work day in and day out as a daycare provider and mechanic.

Garcia is an extraordinary educator and serves as Vice Chairwoman of the Chelsea School Committee and community organizer. In 2015, she was selected to join the Teach For America corps, where she began her tenure as a Special Education Teacher teaching grades 9-12.

 

As a standout amongst colleagues in her charter school, Excel Academy, Kelly was selected to serve as the ambassador for the 'Say Yes On 2' campaign--which promoted the expansion of quality schools across Massachusetts. During the campaign, Kelly served as the spokeswoman, and represented the campaign at the Massachusetts State House.

 

To further her impact in fighting for education equality, Kelly joined Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), where she served as a mentor for young women and men who aspired to become elected officials and create change within their communities. She was heavily involved in LEE's efforts, as she traveled to Baltimore, Colorado, LA, New York, and Philadelphia, to deepen her skill sets in community organizing, & political involvement.

Following her involvement with LEE, Kelly was elected as the youngest School Committee official ever elected in her district, beating a Chelsea School Committee incumbent of 10 years.

 

While on the board, Kelly drafted and proposed a Safe-Haven Resolution that would protect undocumented students. Kelly’s proposal was passed unanimously and is now a policy effective across the district.

 

At 23, she was then elected as the youngest and only Latina Vice Chairwoman and currently serves in this role.

 

Most recently, Kelly was involved in the budgeting, resource allocation, and blueprint draft of a brand-new, 57 million dollar middle school in Chelsea.

 

Additionally she was a key stakeholder in organizing a city-wide donation drive for Hurricane Maria recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Along with her team, she was able to send over 300,000 pounds of food, clothes, and medical resources to the island.

 

Kelly takes pride in her involvement in the community, serving as a champion for her students, and most importantly, being a Latina. Kelly states, “My Puerto Rican roots fuel my fire and desire to continue the fight.”