Meet Esmeralda Xochitl Flores, LACHSA’s Equity and Partnerships Coordinator. Esmeralda plays a critical role at LACHSA and is also involved in many aspects of the school, from serving on the Wellness team to being co-advisor for LACHSA Love. You’ve most certainly seen her at school events and representing the school at external events. We had a chance to sit down with Esmeralda and ask her a few questions. Be sure and stop by and say hello to her if you’re in the office!

Can you explain the role of the Outreach Team at LACHSA?

LACHSA’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE) incorporates our recruitment, admissions, partnerships, and outreach activities. Our outreach efforts are two-fold. This small team has a large goal each year to outreach, inform, and ensure that young artists in the making are aware, prepared, and hopeful applicants of this unique school. This includes tabling at events and high school fairs, social media and online presence, offer audition workshops, school tours, information sessions in-person and online, and lots of one-on-one conversations with educators, officials, non-profits, and other community leaders with a passion for the arts. Secondly, we work with our administration and art chairs to connect, find, and accept opportunities for current LACHSA students to share their extraordinary talent and passion for the arts throughout LA County at art venues, conferences, and other performance spaces, plus inviting other schools to attend performances on campus.

Tell us about your role as Equity Coordinator.

I always say that my role is external and internal. Externally, I help manage the efforts of the Office of Community Engagement with a specific lens on access and reducing barriers, especially with communities that are underrepresented at LACHSA. I have targeted outreach efforts, develop and provide bias-mitigation training for adjudicators (namely those judging the LACHSA admission auditions), Spanish translation, and document and collect data and reports along the process. Internally, I support the LACHSA Administration with creating a positive, inclusive, and meaningful school culture for all. A part of that work is through the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Committee that I co-lead with Assistant Principal Ms. Freitag, where we meet with a diverse group of student leaders to discuss DEI concerns and ways to collectively improve school wide. Together we also address any incident reports related to DEI. I also research and help inform students and parents about LACOE/LACHSA specific scholarships and collaborate with academic counselors to target additional college and resources for first-gen, immigrant, and under-resource students, provide culturally relevant support for teachers, including Ethnic Studies, and I am a co-advisor for the Nuestras Voces and Black Student Union clubs on campus.

What are some of the organizations that LACHSA partners with?

There are several organizations and community partners that LACHSA identified before I started in November of 2020. Yet there are specific groups where I have been a part of strengthening our relationship and co-created opportunities for collaboration. They are A Place Called Home, Inner-City Arts, Neighborhood Music School, TeenTixLA, and Plaza de La Raza to name a few.

How do you go about choosing or finding organizations to partner with?

The majority of partnerships and collaborations with other organizations will ultimately become realized through a series of conversations. Building relationships, meeting (online and in-person), and understanding what each has to offer, learning about programs and goals, then determining in what areas we align. Ultimately, one of the strongest connections will be our work in the arts and serving youth, either through training and educational classes and/or performances and performance spaces.Also, the types of partnerships that can exist are not limited. Some “partnerships” are focused on co-promotion, opportunities to highlight each other’s activities and work, and recommending each other to community at-large. Other “partnerships” could be building programming together, sharing curriculum and co-teaching. These types take more time and risk and may or may not always achieve the outcomes desired but allow for both to learn from the opportunities to dream and collaborate together.Many opportunities with other art-serving organizations, non-profits, city/county representatives are focused on both, our overall outreach efforts for LACHSA, and support our current students with additional opportunities to perform in other spaces or for wider audiences, apply for internships, receive academic support (e.g. tutoring), addressing access to the arts, and scholarships.

How can parents and students help you find community partnerships?

I’m always open to introductions from parents and students for organizations, community groups, nonprofits, etc., that would be a good fit for LACHSA to connect with.

What does DEI mean to you? And how do you see it working at LACHSA?DEI has taken on a different meaning to me, especially this year. There are those in leadership roles who are threatened by Diversity, by the differences in others, rather than seeing the beauty, strength, curiosity and collective creativity in diversity. Equity for me, in this role, is access and resources for our school community that allow for all students to reach their academic, artistic and social needs regardless of their circumstances. Inclusion at LACHSA is helping to create a place where everyone feels respected and valued, as they are.

What do you consider your biggest success in the role so far?

I would hope that more than anything, my biggest success would be that students felt their LACHSA experience allowed them to grow as artists without having to leave a part of who they are at the door. That students felt welcomed, their voice mattered, they had a person to turn to for concerns and that issues were address, especially those related to Race, Culture, Diversity, Class…. 

One thing I am especially proud of each time it happens, is when I’m able to promote and help students with scholarship applications. We all know it’s expensive to continue to study in this country, so every scholarship is a win, and that brings me a lot of joy each time a student shares with me that they got a scholarship I recommended, and I’m even more excited if I wrote a letter of rec for them.

Who do you look up to as your personal heroes?

I thought about this a lot and there are so many incredible individuals who have made an impact in this nation and world, it was hard to choose, but I do look up to many people (literally, being on 5 FT tall). One person that comes to mind is equally as tall (5FT) but has been a powerful voice for so many causes to this day, and that’s Dolores Huerta. At 95 years old, most people know her as the co-founder of the United Farm Workers (with Cesar Chavez), but she has been a champion for labor, women’s, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and environmental rights. She is one that doesn’t limit her voice to one cause, and more importantly, takes care of her health to keep doing what she does. She loves, Jazz, Dancing, and is a Vegetarian. I was so privileged to have interviewed her online during the pandemic years and will remain in awe of her determination, wisdom, and energy.

What do you love most about working at LACHSA?

The students. Seems obvious, but more specially, watching them grow in their art, a definite plus! I joke to others, but most of my dates with my partner, are to see LACHSA performances…they are that great… but also, seeing the students grow in their critical thinking, their empathy, and understanding of each other, their joy in sharing of their culture, their desire to volunteer and give, and what gives me hope for the future is the students who want to make a positive difference in the world…either through their art or in other ways. We have many gems here…and the thank you hugs at graduation day…well, priceless.

The students love her too! Take it from Amirah Thomas who just graduated with the Music department this past June: “Ms. Flores cares about the mental, emotional, physical, and cultural wellbeing of the youth like no other. During my senior year of high school working with Ms. Flores, she served to be a presence that went beyond her title as “equity coordinator” at LACHSA, but also served as a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, a voice for students who felt systemically silenced, and someone who often reminded me to complete my work – because she knew me well enough to know that sometimes I needed a push. Although it wasn’t just me that she knew, she took the time and energy to learn what every student she worked with needed as an individual. It amazes me how Ms. Flores managed to connect with so many people, make such a positive impact, go through personal struggles, and still show up everyday with a smile. Even though I’m still not quite sure how she managed it all, I can confidently say that I am inspired to show up with just as much care, kindness, and passion for empathy and positive change as Ms. Flores does.”

And Vivian Estrada, a senior in the Theatre department added, “I wanted to share about how much Ms. Flores has impacted my experience as a LACHSA student. She has been an incredible source of support, always making me feel safe, appreciated, and proud of my identity at school. Her guidance has been invaluable, and I honestly can’t imagine where I would be without it. truly believe that our club, Nuestras Voces, wouldn’t have been able to thrive without her support as admin. Ms. Flores has made such a difference, not only in my life but in the lives of many others at LACHSA. I’m so grateful for her presence and everything she does for our community.”

We, at the LACHSA Foundation, are so very grateful for all Esmeralda does for LACHSA, the LACHSA community, and the students.