Maria (Conchita) Hernandez was born in Mexico and grew up in California being blind and undocumented. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public school setting through a lens of intersectionality focusing on social justice. Conchita received her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, majoring in International Studies, Spanish, and History. She then went on to Louisiana Tech University where she received her Masters in Teaching with a focus on teaching blind students. As well, Conchita earned a certificate in working with Deaf-Blind students from Northern Illinois University. She is currently a doctorate student at George Washington University perusing her degree in Special Education.