My name is Vanessa Figueroa and I am a dual language teacher in the Two-Way-Immersion program at Stony Creek Elementary School.   I grew up in Chicago, but have lived in Miami, Florida and San Jose, Costa Rica.  I completed my undergraduate work at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and my graduate work at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.  My educational degrees include a Masters in Dual Language Education (English-Spanish K-8th grade), a Masters in Educational Leadership (PreK-12th grade)  and a Bachelors in Education of Spanish as a World Language (6th-12th grade). I began my teaching career in Chicago in 2000. Over the years, I have committed to teaching students to embrace multiculturalism, multilingualism and to take risks in language learning. I reside in Chicago with my family,  have one son and one dog. I enjoy hiking, gardening and traveling.  I love learning more about my students’ cultures and supporting them in their journey as they develop multiple languages.