Hope Balfa-Mustakim for Waco ISD Board of Trustees At-Large Position 7.

Dear Waco ISD families and friends, 

I believe you should vote for someone you know and trust in, and who whole-heartedly believes in our Waco ISD students, families, and schools-- ALL of them. So I would like to share a little about who I am and why I'm here. 👇🏼
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First and foremost, I am the mother of two incredible children, both who are Waco ISD preschool students. After that, I am the full-time Executive Director of a nonprofit advocacy organization called the Waco Immigrants Alliance. I am proud to say that after 10 long years of studies, I earned both my Bachelor's and Master's of Social Work here in Waco at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University where my chosen concentration was Community Practice.

Since moving to Waco in 2009, I've spent time in Waco ISD schools as either an undergraduate and graduate level social work intern, a substitute teacher, and community partner. (Yes, I said substitute teacher. It really is fun!) Additionally, early on in my Waco years I served as Assistant Youth Director at Mission Waco where I daily invested in the education, emotional development, and spiritual formation of our North Waco youth.

Before transferring to Baylor, I studied Secondary Education at Lonestar College in Houston. But before that, I was born and raised in South Louisiana, and the communal nature of my Cajun culture taught me that we are our brothers' and sisters' keeper. I was a Girl Scout for a decade, participated in athletics, music, civics, and hence never meet a stranger. 😁 Everyone is family to me, and all have inherent God-given dignity and worth.

Throughout my time in Waco, I've been able to witness all the various systems (such as healthcare, immigration, housing, criminal justice, etc) that impact our students' lives for better or worse. As a social worker, I view students through the lens of systems theory and strengths perspective -- meaning, we all have assets and strengths to bring to the table. At the same time, we are all operating within many different systems that impact our mindset, opportunities, behaviors, health, and choices.

Evidence shows that when we take a holistic approach to education and neighborhood schools, there are much greater outcomes in test scores, parent engagement, educator retention, and overall campus morale. That being said, I bring the unique and proactive lens of a social worker to the Board, as well as someone who has actually spent time on campuses, with students, and who BELIEVES in our children and is personally invested in the success of not only my children but all of Waco's children.

Now is the time to invest - not divest - from our children and neighborhood schools. And I promise that as your At-Large school board member, I will fight to keep all our neighborhood schools open, and to ensure that every voice is heard and valued (and that families with various language access needs are accommodated and able to participate!) - not just those with affluence or influence.
Every voice matters. You matter. And I would be honored to get your vote on May 2, 2020. ✊🏾