Judith Cruz is a native Texan who has lived in Houston for more than 15 years. Her mother is from Guatemala, and she grew up in a bilingual, Spanish-speaking home. Cruz received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, Bilingual Special Education from George Washington University. Cruz has over 20 years of experience as an educator and volunteer in public schools. She taught at Lee (now Wisdom) High School in HISD and was part of the team that created Liberty High School in the Gulfton area, where she was a founding teacher. Cruz is a Teach for America alumna and has served on multiple HISD committees, including the Superintendent's Parent Advisory Committee. She co-founded and was president of the parent/teacher association at her neighborhood school, Lantrip Elementary. Most recently, Cruz worked at DiscoverU, a Houston nonprofit whose mission is to broaden the world view of underserved youth through experiential learning activities. Cruz currently resides in District VIII in Eastwood with her husband and three sons, who attend HISD schools.