Zaida Ismatul Oliva has announced her campaign for District 4 School Committee. The following is her statement:
“Zaida Ismatul Oliva, who grew up in Chelsea and is mom to a four-year-old in Chelsea Public Schools, has been working hard reaching out to voters this year as part of her campaign to serve as the Chelsea School Committee member for District 4.
Zaida has lived in Chelsea since 1988, when her family arrived from Guatemala. “I have been a witness to all the things that make this community rich and beautiful, especially its people and culture. I dreamed of becoming a teacher since I was five years old, but I couldn’t pursue that dream after high school due to my immigration status. Now I am a proud American citizen. I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees as soon as I became eligible, but I was an adult, nontraditional student, juggling my job and other responsibilities. I persevered, and went on to have a career in nonprofit leadership and education.”
Zaida currently serves as the Executive Director of chica project, a nonprofit that empowers young Women of Color. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Margarita Muñiz Academy. Prior to that, she worked with Chelsea High School students helping them obtain college credit through Bunker Hill Community College’s Early College and Dual Enrollment Program.
“Zaida is a mother, a leader, an education professional, and deeply knows the Chelsea community,” says Roberto Jimenez-Rivera, outgoing At-Large School Committee member. “I am so happy she’s running, and I enthusiastically endorse her campaign. With Zaida there, the Chelsea School Committee will be able to continue the good work that we’ve been doing over the last several years, and branch out into new areas of improvement and problem-solving too.”
Zaida’s motivation to run for School Committee is partly her own 4-year-old daughter, who attends pre-K in Chelsea Public Schools at the Early Learning Center. But Zaida has been an involved community member for decades, going back to her time working with Chelsea youth at ROCA. Zaida believes her life experiences plus her professional credentials equip her to serve on the School Committee—from being a young immigrant, growing up as a working-class Chelsea Public Schools student, to a strong female leader with a master’s degree in education who is raising her daughter in the community that raised her.
“I want to be the voice of students, parents, teachers and administrators to help improve the Chelsea school system so that this community can thrive together,” says Zaida. “As your School Committee member, my priorities will be to improve the student experience from pre-K to high school, including raising graduation rates; increasing social and emotional services for all students; and bringing the community together to make our school system better.”
Zaida lives with her husband Anton and her daughter Luna on Heard Street.