Hispanic Heritage Month: Yvonne Vazquez Rangel

Yvonne Vazquez Rangel was born on Oct. 28, 1966. She started her professional career as a counselor at a domestic violence shelter. In 1992, she began working with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Education Service Center. She worked as an advisor and, eventually, director. She mentored students through the Hispanic Leadership Opportunity Program, helping many of them fill out financial aid paperwork to get to college. She spent evenings and weekends running a K-3 reading program for students whose families spoke Spanish at home.  

At home, Yvonne and her husband, Juan, spoke to their son primarily Spanish for the first two years of his life. As they began to speak more English at home, she looked for ways to reinforce her son’s Spanish. She successfully campaigned for his pre-K to add Spanish instruction to better serve diverse learners and their families. 

Yvonne was 42 when she died of cancer. Her family continues to be involved in education advocacy in Kansas City. 

 

Sources:  

https://kchistory.org/document/biography-yvonne-vazquez-rangel-1966-2009-education-advocate 

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/lifestyle/2007/11/21/younger-younger-children-learning-foreign/52735321007/