PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTER
Lissette Santiago, 33
Public Information Officer, Coachella Valley Unified School District
Santiago holds a special connection to the students she serves at the Coachella Valley Unified School District: She was once one of them. Raised by immigrant farmworkers in Coachella, Santiago now drives student and parent engagement at East Valley schools, spearheading door-opening initiatives, such as making all district communication bilingual. She’s also pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. “I would love to continue telling the stories of my community,” she says.
• VIDEO: Lissette chats about growing up the child of immigrant parents who worked the fields of the Coachella Valley.