Patricia Mota

Patricia is the Senior Manager of Grants and Reports at The Fund. She uses her Chicago upbringing and educational background to tell impactful stories of school leaders through case studies and reports. She grew up in Pilsen and was a student in Chicago Public Schools. Patricia graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in international studies and Spanish literature, with a concentration in Latino/a studies. Her undergraduate research for Latinos in Rural America (LiRA), a public humanities project on the Latinx experience in rural Ohio, showed her firsthand the powerful role that research and data can have in improving outcomes for diverse communities. She is driven to create a brighter future for students in Chicago by helping bring visibility to the creative and solutions-oriented work happening in our schools every day. 

After graduation, Patricia completed a Fulbright ETA in Mexico and taught second and third grade as part of Teach for America. In 2019, she obtained a master’s in bilingual education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. As the first in her family to graduate from college and obtain a graduate degree, she is passionate about educational policy because she understands the powerful impact educational opportunities can have on children’s futures. 

Currently, Patricia applies all that she’s learned along the way by serving on the Local School Council of Irma C. Ruiz Elementary, her own starting point, having come full circle. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new food and going on road trips with her family.