Natalia Mejia is the NCCAT 2023 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year. She entered education with the hope of increasing the diversity of educators in the classroom. She is an alum of the Honors in Education program and the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte. Natalia teaches ELL students at CC Griffin Middle School. She was a two-time participant in study abroad programs to Cape Town, South Africa. This inspired her philosophy of education around Ubuntu, “I am, because we are”. She has co-written two book chapters about her experience and research in South Africa. She is the co-founder of the non-profit organizations: 49ers for Puerto Rico and Knit-Together Prana.