YOU DON'T GROW UP THE DAUGHTER OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER WITHOUT A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP TO EDUCATION.

 

A love of its potential, pride in its accomplishments, and knowledge of all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. The path to college for my parents, Carlos and Olga Flores, was challenging. My mother’s family had to pick cotton to be able to afford school supplies, and my father’s parents saved and sacrificed to make sure he got to college, since they could not afford to finish their public school educations. By the time they started a family, my mother was already a certified bilingual teacher in San Antonio, and my father, who began his post-high school educational in community college, an architect.

​

Because of their commitment to education, my brother, sister and I grew up hearing about “when” we went to college, not “if” - for us, continuing our education after high school was always a possibility. At the age of 17, with my public high school diploma, I flew out to New Jersey to attend Princeton University. After receiving my A.B. in public policy from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson school, I attended Columbia Law school, and graduated with a law degree. After school I returned to Texas as quickly as I could, making Houston my home.

​

I started my career practicing law in big downtown law firms, then in 2006 had an exciting opportunity to help Congressman Nick Lampson on his political campaign. His commitment to public service was inspiring, and I learned so much about how to serve your community well, collaborate, and lead from my time with this team.

​

In 2009, my husband Chris and I began our family, welcoming my son Atticus, then later daughter Athena and the our youngest, Augustus. There is no shortage of things to be grateful for regarding that time, and one of them was finding my passion for education and beginning my education advocacy in the Houston area. Since that time, I have immersed myself in education issues - researching, reading, writing, and talking about how to ensure that the promise that education holds is accessible by everyone in our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, income level, or zip code. 

​

In early 2019, I had the opportunity to serve Harris County by working for the new administration in the Harris County Clerk's Office. In six months with the Elections Department, we introduced countywide voting to Harris County (where you can vote anywhere in the county on election day), increased voting hours during early voting, and settled an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice in a way that ensures better accessibility at polling locations without compromising polling locations in underserved Black and Latino communities.

​

My history, education, and experience is more than just a bio, it is a blueprint of how I acquired the skills and passion I have today - skills and passion that I would be honored to bring to the table as your representative for HCC District 1.

​

​