Maria Ramirez is an educator, poet, and activist who has dedicated 31 years to teaching in Colorado. She has earned accolades that include Colorado Bilingual Teacher of the Year, National Bilingual Teacher of the Year, and Boulder County’s Multicultural Educator of the Year. She has served as an assistant principal, district coordinator and English language development teacher. Two chapters from her memoir and one of her poems are now included in the Colorado Alliance for Latino Mentors and Authors’ debut anthology, “Ramas y Raíces: The Best of CALMA. “

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory — what’s it about and what inspired you to write it?

Maria Ramirez: This anthology includes my stories from two books about growing up in the

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