LEADERS

Gina Pernini

The oldest of four girls, Gina learned at an early age what it meant to lead and guide. She grew up in the Chicago-land area in a large Italian family where most days were a scene straight out of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Graduating from the University of Kansas with a fine arts degree, she started her career teaching elementary school art. After earning her Masters in Education from Notre Dame, she went on to teach 5th and 6th grade for seven years. Her love of teaching led her to classrooms around the world –from the Chicago suburbs to Jackson, Mississippi and the Ukraine to the Dominican Republic. In her off time, Gina spent summers in Ethiopia with a non-profit organization facilitating summer school programs.

Traveling, studying, and working in diverse communities across the world, Gina has found that people, with all their struggles and successes, are her passion. She celebrates differences and believes that only by putting others first can she really affect change in this world. She’s not afraid of being real. In fact, she is a constant work in progress. She’s always searching, always ready to learn. And believes every child deserves the opportunity to feel fully alive.

If you really knew me, you would know…

• I believe young people are our best teachers. They should all be given the chance to smile sincerely and laugh loudly.
• Traveling makes the world feel small to me. I enjoy discovering how we are alike versus how we are different.
• I love doing yoga and salsa dancing, though not at the same time.
• My family is the center of my life. While it’s a sacrifice being away from them, my awareness of how blessed I am grows every day.
• I appreciate life’s little miracles. Like ants. And anything covered in white chocolate.