This NJ District Just Swore In Its First Openly Transgender BOE Member

Mendez, 33, on Tuesday was sworn into the Dover Board of Education as its first openly transgender woman.

Mendez is no stranger to minority groups and has long been advocating for them. With an Italian and Puerto Rican background, she was raised by her grandmother in Paterson, where she says her experience was less than comforting.

“Classrooms were overcrowded, there was no social and emotional support for someone like me, I dealt with bullying from peers and the list goes on,” Mendez told DailyVoice.com.

Now, Mendez uses her past experiences to develop outlets for students struggling with similar challenges.

“My adopted hometown of Dover has poured so much love into me but Dover schools are not perfect and students in our schools face many of the same obstacles I did, so here I am to ensure Dover students have a better educational experience than me,” Mendez said.

Mendez’s main goals prioritize LGBTQ support and increased diversity.

“My hope is to work with the rest of the board to adopt policies that contribute to a healthy educational journey, plan and budget for professional development for teachers/staff that includes LGBTQ issues, and plan and budget for resources that support all students, especially trans students,” she said.

“I’d also love to see more diversity among our teaching staff.”

However, Mendez’s educational goals are just the beginning of her advocacy efforts. She also started a recent role as a peer recovery specialist at Dover’s grant-funded non-profit organization known as the Center for Addiction Recovery Education and Success (CARES).

The organization’s goal is to reduce the stigma associated with substance abuse while providing pathways of support for those in the recovery process. Mendez’s goals as a board member are admirable and ambitious, though she says she can’t accomplish them alone — she needs the collective help of the group, as well as ongoing community support.

In the meantime, Mendez encourages students struggling with their identity to seek help and remember that they’re not alone.

“Support is out there, reach out,” she said. “Build a support system and take your time to learn and mold your gender expression.” “Most importantly, as you can see from my journey, anything is possible!” 

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