Lucina Lopez Perez was born and raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico where she studied and obtained her 1st Degree in Philosophy and her first Master’s Degree in Teaching. Lucina wanted to do more to uplift her community, so she began teaching Philosophy, Literature, History, Spanish, Logic, Ethics, and Philosophy of Arts at the high school and college level. This is where she realized that teaching youth was what she loved; classroom engagement, regardless of the way or form.
Unfortunately, teachers in Mexico are not highly compensated. Despite being recognized for her talents, becoming federally credentialed, and developing a country-wide teaching curriculum, she was only given 15 hours to teach in a federal school per week. Lucina earned a black belt in Taekwondo and became a teacher, coach, and referee in this sport to supplement her income.
Later she came to the Bay Area to study and obtained her second masters in Berkeley on Arts and Social Transformation. “I realized that social transformation begins with personal transformation. Statistics show that when there are educated individuals in a community, the community lifts with them. The achievement of one belongs to everyone. We all grow together.”
Lucina initially applied for a Career Advisor position with Success Centers, however her extensive teaching skillset spoke for itself. She was hired in March 2021, as a school counselor at the Early Morning Study Academy (EMSA) where she continues to spread her learned knowledge on radical compassion to empathize and encourage our youth to educate themselves as much and as well as possible.
In addition to her great work as a school counselor with Success Centers, Lucina is a volunteer in a program that accompanies recently arrived immigrants of all statuses, orientations, and gender identities in Berkeley. Also, Lucina leads, along with two philosophers’ colleagues, a non-profit organization founded in Tijuana 13 years ago. The Asociacion Filosofica de la Frontera (Philosophical Association of the Frontier) currently teaches Philosophy in different government institutions and schools in Tijuana. Staffed solely by volunteers, the group is working on creating a stronger website and social media presence while Lucina continues to study non-profit management and grant writing.
Lucina enjoys life, art, nature, spirituality, friendship, bike rides, meditation, taekwondo, sunset, travel, partnership, family and community work
