Jodi Fernandez began her academic journey with a bachelor's degree in communication arts, later returning to earn a master's in English. Inspired to teach, she became an English professor, but soon discovered that adjunct teaching made it difficult to sustain even a modest lifestyle. Seeking stability, Jodi started substitute teaching in New York City public schools, eventually earning tenure as an English teacher. Committed to her craft, she went back to school for a master's in education. For the past eighteen years, Jodi has taught eleventh and twelfth graders at a high school in Westchester, New York, where she leads English classes, electives, and an introductory course on African American history.