Jessica Boren was born and raised in the south region of Brazil. In 2008, she moved to Lincoln, NE with no previous knowledge of English. Over the next few years, she was able to learn English and Spanish through immersion. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies, with a focus on Spanish and Psychology, and a Master's degree in International Family Studies. Being an immigrant herself, she decided to work to support the immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities. For many years, Jessica has provided services to these communities in many different ways. In the past, Jessica has been an Assistant Director of a non-profit organization serving the Latino community, where she oversaw and managed Adult Education classes, Citizenship classes, and other educational programs. She has also investigated employment discrimination cases across the state of Nebraska, where she fought for equal rights. Finally, she has coached Family Literacy programs in Nebraska, helping schools implement the four-component Family Literacy model to further support families in their educational goals. Currently, Jessica is the Nebraska Director for the National Center for Families Learning.