I am the daughter of Shirley Bachiller and William Gonzales, the grand daughter of Irene Foye and Fermin Bachiller and Ida Paiz and Paul Gonzales. I was born in Castro Valley California and raised in Fremont California. I moved to Ohio in 1975 where I finished high school at Upper Arlington. I earned a Bachelors of Science in Social Studies Education and a Masters of Art in Global Education from Ohio State. I plan to pursue a PhD in Education. Currently, I serve as the Director for Minority Scholarship Services in the Office of Minority Affairs (OMA). I have been with OMA for 21 years. I am married and have one daughter.

My father was born in Greeley Colorado and a member of the Ute tribe. My father along with all of his siblings were sent to a boarding school in Denver Colorado where he attended from approximately age 5 until graduation at age 18 (he is unsure of the date and year he was born --1930). Respecting my father and grandfather, I identify as Ute and continue the arduous search for family members.