Ashley Lopez

Biography

Ashley Lopez joined Metro State University in November 2022 as the community engagement coordinator for Literacy and Youth Outreach in the Institute for Community Engagement and Scholarship. She has more than 10 years of experience in education, relationship-building, community service, and advocacy work.

Prior to Metro State, Lopez worked as a program coordinator for Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact, where she oversaw the support and professional development of the organization’s AmeriCorps VISTA program members. She has worked with students of all ages in a variety of capacities, and she most enjoys guiding young people as they discover their own voices, values, and unique forms of leadership. In addition to her work with students, Lopez has led advocacy and justice initiatives for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Saint Paul Parish, organized a childcare funding campaign with ISAIAH, built a successful system of volunteer recruitment and management for student programming at Project Success, and taught in early childhood education centers across the Twin Cities. In all that she does, Lopez centers relationship-building, reflective practice, and a deep commitment to anti-oppression work.

Lopez is a first-generation college student and holds a BA in politics from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education (MA.Ed) from Concordia University St. Paul. She is currently a student of Metro State’s Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) program, seeking to graduate in 2023. She is a proud bi-cultural, bilingual Chicanx woman with a passion for community-building, justice, and decolonization.