Together We…Give Back to Our Community
Her roots as a student from Southeast Los Angeles motivated Lisbeth Espinoza to pursue and build a career in education. This drive and dedication for student learning has propelled her to transition from Program Leader to Quality Assurance Coach in just a year and keeps her focused on providing the best quality programs to the students in the Lynwood School District. We are excited to give you the opportunity to learn more about Lisbeth!
What is your Think Together “why?” What inspired you to work at Think Together and what continues to inspire your work here.
My Think Together why is the communities I serve. I am a former Southeast Los Angeles student so coming back to serve the students in my community is a huge contribution to my why. I started working in afterschool programs 12 years ago but never thought it would lead to my forever calling. But as a former local student, coming back to serve the community that helped raise me contributes to my why. Working for Think Together is like coming back home for me and the best part is being able to provide quality programs to the students of Lynwood.
What is the best piece of advice you have received that you would like to share with others?
Trust but verify. In any of your work, you always want to verify to provide the most quality work possible.
Do you have a student story or school site that inspired you? Why?
When I started my career in education, I did not think it would lead me this far. I was a Program Leader in South Central Los Angeles when I met a student, Abigail, who came to program every single day and inspired me to keep showing up for work. She always showed up for our afterschool program and worked ten times harder than anyone else. At the end of the year, she thanked me with a letter and told me she showed up every day because she knew that I believed in her. I keep this note with me to this day. In that moment I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere else. Expanded learning is building up the youth and continuing their education beyond the school day.
As a Quality Assurance Coach, you oversee a large team. What is something you and your team do that keeps everything organized and running smoothly?
I am lucky enough to be serving a group of leaders who are tight knit and so supportive of each other. Something we do to keep this going is our ability to uplift each other. My Lynwood team has been able to support any Site Program Manager in need without hesitation and that has allowed us to achieve great things within our district.
What is a mantra, affirmation, or quote that has helped you over the years? Why?
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
When managing any team, you must be ready for anything that will come your way. I always want to have a clear vision of where I am going and plan my steps to succeed.
What are your professional goals or resolution for the new year?
This year I want to be able to serve as many students as possible in our Lynwood community! I am a true believer in our mission, and I want to keep changing the odds for kids in my community.
Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
Outside of work you will catch me listening to vinyls or on a bike ride. My husband and I enjoy music and we collect records with more than 200 in our collection. We also enjoy bike riding along the beach path, so you’ll catch me in Long Beach every weekend!
