Kongit is an educator with over 17 years of experience working in an urban setting with students and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Kongit has served as tutor, teacher, mentor, and for the past decade coordinates support services for refugee and newcomer students in the Chicago Public Schools. She has extensive experience facilitating youth project services at the school and community level. Her own experiences of acculturation fuel her passion for driving positive social change through advocacy and supportive partners to create long and short range plans to address inequities in schools; including professional development and family outreach. Kongit is skilled in group facilitation with excellent human relations skills, fluent in Amharic and French. Kongit’s other passions include traveling, dancing, painting, beading, and trying new food from around the world.Kongit obtained her Bachelor degree in French from the University of Illinois in Chicago including participating in a yearlong study abroad program at the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University in Chicago and an Illinois Professional Educator License.