Emily Banks

Teacher at Glenn Elementary School

Emily Banks is from a Puerto Rican household in Creedmoor, North Carolina. Aspiring to become an educator since she was in early elementary school, Emily pursued higher education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout her time at university, she wanted to find a community where she could explore and celebrate her cultural roots. She became an Hermana of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. in the Spring of 2021 where she was introduced to many opportunities to develop her personal and professional identity. Education equity became a passion for Emily, which led her to work at organizations such as Student U in Durham and LatinxEd during her undergraduate career. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree in 2022, Emily returned to UNC-Chapel Hill to attain her Master’s of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education. As a graduate student, Emily was proud to be part of the first cohort of DREAM Residents as well as a fellow in the Tricontinental Teacher Training program. She will be beginning her teaching career this fall in a 4th grade classroom in Durham, NC, where she hopes to continue her work in education equity and advocacy through the LatinxEd Fellowship.