Lisa María Rhodes, LMSW, better known by her students as Señorita Rhodes, is in her 16th year as an educator in New Orleans. A proud graduate of the University of Miami, Lisa María formerly taught in Miami as well as Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Lisa María serves as the Director of Alumni Mental Health for Collegiate Academies Next, where she has also been a teacher at Abramson Sci Academy in New Orleans East and a social worker at George Washington Carver High School in the Desire neighborhood.

With her experience working for Orleans Public Defenders and doing national immigration policy advocacy through the Evangelical Immigration Table and Christian Community Development Association, Lisa María developed a system of support for students who are either in the immigration or criminal justice court systems, leading her to become the founder & Executive Director of non-profit organization ALAS. Lack of adequate support in either system jeopardizes students’ opportunity to complete high school and prohibits students from gaining access to higher education. ALAS trains educators to support and advocate for students affected by immigration & criminal court proceedings.