Angelina Sáenz, M.Ed., is a Los Angeles–based Chicana writer, poet, and award-winning educator whose work bridges teaching, community, and the humanities. Over a fifteen-year career with the Los Angeles Unified School District, she supported educators and students as a Teacher Consultant and fellow with the UCLA Writing Project. A dedicated advocate for education, Sáenz has contributed to national conversations on education policy as a Teach Plus Fellow and member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council. Her work has been recognized with honors including the 2014 La Opinión Exceptional Woman Award and being named Highland Park–Mt. Washington Person of the Year in 2012.
Sáenz is also an accomplished author. She published poetry collections Maestra (2024) and Edgecliff(2021), as well as the children’s book Waiting for Luna. A UCLA Writing Project Fellow, VONA/Voices Workshop alumna, and Macondo Writers Workshop Fellow, her poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Poetry Magazine. She is also a contributor to Escaramuza (GOST Books, 2025), a collaborative exploration of home through poetry and photography.
This week, Take a Hike with Angelina Sáenz.
