ándrea férnanda serrano’s passions are rooted in her personal story as an immigrant. ándrea férnanda was born in the village of Bahía de Kino, Sonora, México, on unceded comca'ac land. Her life dramatically changed at 6 years old, when she crossed the invisible boundary created by colonial powers, the U.S.-Mexican border, and started a new life in Mesa, AZ, on unceded O’odham and Hohokam lands. Not knowing a word of English and having no familiarity with her new surroundings, she found herself all of a sudden in a foreign culture.Assimilating was difficult and ándrea férnanda recognized, even at a young age, that her ability to assimilate would determine the level of access she would be able to attain in the United States of America. With the support of her parents, teachers, and community, ándrea férnanda navigated the education and cultural systems. With a keen awareness of her privilege and a desire to honor her family, she persevered throughout her primary and secondary education. Her academic performance afforded her the opportunity to study at the University of Notre Dame, and her studies in anthropology further intensified her passion for cultural awareness and social justice.ándrea férnanda’s most defining traits stem from her experiences as a birthmother. After placing her son for adoption in 2012, ándrea férnanda’s life’s work has been a challenging and hopeful journey to contribute towards a better world for her child. She shares her birthmom journey on adoption panels to promote conversation and education on the birthparent experience.ándrea férnanda works as a Managing Director of Development for the Upper Midwest Development Hub at Teach For America. In her role, ándrea férnanda aspires to facilitate philanthropy through an anti-racist lens with a deep passion for social justice, equity, cultural awareness, and community engagement.Now in her mid-30s, ándrea férnanda seeks a natural balance of strategic ambition and exploratory adventure. She prioritizes intentional interrogation and exploration of her identity - un-learning her assimilation, reclaiming her heritage and identity as xicanx, and celebrating and uplifting communities of color. ándrea férnanda resides on the occupied lands of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Bodéwadmiakiwen, Myaamia, Hoocąk, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ nations in Zhigaagoong (Chicago, IL, USA). She learns much from the Native youth in the region and attempts her best to be a respectful tenant in the region as she builds home.