Bianca Vega, Assistant Head of School at Santa Barbara Middle School, is a Santa Barbara native whose passion for education grew from her studies in Human Biology and Gender Issues at Stanford University. Inspired by the link between education and equity, she joined Teach for America in Los Angeles and earned her Master’s in Education from Loyola Marymount University, where she received the Kenneth L. Moffett Bilingual Education Award.Bianca went on to teach in bilingual classrooms in San Francisco and earned a Fund for Teachers fellowship to study marine habitats in Belize. Her love of travel then led her to teach in Thailand, Mexico, and ultimately Medellín, Colombia, where she served as an instructional coach and later Assistant Vice Principal at The Columbus School.After seven years abroad and the birth of her two children in Colombia, Bianca returned home to Santa Barbara. Outside of school life, she enjoys family time, reading, outdoor adventures, and a great Hip Hop class.