Along with her passion for supporting young people and creating strong partnerships, Lucia Mendez (she/her) brings nearly 15 years of experience to Achieve Twin Cities. Before joining the Achieve team, Lucia worked as a program supervisor at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, where she was one of the co-founders and co-chair of the State Enterprise-wide Black Indigenous Women of Color Employee Resource Group.

Lucia has extensive experience working in TRIO and GEAR UP programs, serving students at Minneapolis, Bloomington, Robbinsdale, Richfield and Edina Public Schools. Being a first-generation student herself, Lucia knows how crucial these roles are and how effective they are in young people’s lives.  

Lucia is eager to return to direct student support with the Longfellow community where she can utilize her creativity, knowledge and ability to build genuine relationships to support youth who are already managing many responsibilities. Originally from Saint Paul’s West Side, Lucia earned her bachelor's degree in social work from St. Cloud State University and her Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.