Claudia Lara-Martinez was born in El Salvador and comes from a loving family comprised of her two younger brothers and hard-working parents. She moved to Canada when she was 15 where she had to learn English and adapt to a new country and a different culture. She became proficient in English and graduated high school in 4 years. She then went on to fulfill her dream of graduating as a teacher from the University of Windsor, where she also learned to speak Italian, and some German. She began her teaching career in Southwest Detroit in 2002, where she remained as a teacher at Academy of Americas until 2010. Mrs. Lara-Martinez left the classroom to work for the Office of Bilingual Education, where she served as a coach, a Supervisor, and eventually the Director. Mrs. Martinez accepted the position of Assistant Principal at Amelia Earhart in the fall of 2015, where she has enjoyed working alongside Mrs. Villarreal, the community, and the students.  In December 2019 Harms Elementary School became her new Southwest home as she became principal.  Mrs. Martinez now lives in Michigan with her husband and her son. “Working in this community feels like home, and I love the fact that I can use my language skills and experience to support our families.” Mrs. Lara-Martinez