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Marguerite Rucker is a mother, teacher and cheerleader. After 20 years of teaching, she currently teaches sixth grade. Her master’s degree is in educational leadership. She also opened a Performing Arts Academy with her best friend and trained several successful child actors and dancers who have appeared in TV shows and commercials. She is the proud mother of two high school children and the wife of a school psychologist.

Kathleen Melville teaches English, Spanish and playwriting at a small public high school in Philadelphia. A graduate of Swarthmore College, her degree is in English and education. Her teaching career includes two years at a bilingual school in Guatemala City and two years at a small Friends school for students with learning differences. She is also a teaching consultant with the Philadelphia Writing Project and enjoys reading, traveling and spending time outdoors.

Allison is the assistant press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world in which LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Adrienne van der Valk began her career in social work, advocating for homeless and runaway youth and survivors of sexual violence. Her graduate studies led her to political science and journalism, and she has been using her editorial skills in a variety of social justice settings ever since. She served as deputy director for Teaching Tolerance for many years before moving on to become the communications director for the Center for Genetics and Society. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Grinnell College and master’s degrees in political science and magazine journalism from the

Jarah Botello brings more than 14 years of education experience to her role as a teaching and learning specialist for Teaching Tolerance. After earning her B.A. in English and theater from Howard Payne University, Botello began her career as an actress and theater instructor in Denver. She moved to Selma, Alabama, in 2007, where she taught high school and college English and drama for eight years. In Selma, she also co-founded New Expressions, an art program for students of all ages that centers on community service, activism and self-expression. Botello loves all things creative and enjoys

Coloroso is an educator and the author of several books, including The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander—From Preschool to High School, How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence.

Timane is a counselor, minister, performer and public speaker specializing in the intersection of religion/spirituality and LGBT rights.

Cook has taught composition courses at Auburn University, where he also received his M.A. in English with a concentration in rhetoric and composition. He is passionate about intersectional activism and about having tough-but-necessary conversations to advance social justice. He considers love and compassion to be integral to his work and activism.

Elizabeth Varela taught ESL in elementary and secondary schools for nine years. She holds a Ph.D. in applied linguistics from Georgetown University and has been an adjunct professor at The George Washington University and an assistant professor and acting coordinator of the TESOL program in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. Varela is an elementary ESL specialist and principal investigator for a Title VII project for the Arlington Public Schools.

Jeffrey is a seventh-grade English teacher at West Virginia’s DuPont Middle School. He holds certifications for English and social studies and often blends the two subjects in his classroom. In addition to teaching, he coaches track and field at DuPont; from time to time he uses poetry and history lessons to motivate his team. Webb has had pieces published in Vandalia, Red Mud Review, Pikeville Review and The Charleston Anvil.