Nury Castillo
Nury Castillo Crawford is currently a Director of Academic Support for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the President of the Georgia Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, a published author, and the CEO / Founder of 1010 Publishing.
As a Director of Academic Support, Nury has launched the school district’s first ever Hispanic Mentoring Priority. She helps connect individual adult mentors with students to support in helping each of them see beyond their current situation and to achieve their full potential.
Being the President of GALAS, Georgia Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, means she supports, advocates and leads in securing professional development for educators who work with and teach Latino students.
Her published literary works include a bilingual children’s books, the first book in the series Sofia, published in December 2017 titled “3,585 Miles to be an American Girl”, the second book in the series recently released is ttiled, “Sofia and Vivi: Big Sister” . The series tells the story of a little girl, her family and their journey as immigrants to the USA. She has also published what she calls a parent empowerment book, available in both English and Spanish, “Plant the Seeds Well… Expect Wonders”, this book shares tips, strategies and short relevant stories to support parenting in the 21st century. Released this year, it sold over a thousand copies in the first two weeks.
Nury considers herself a life-long learner and attributes much of her success, drive and passion to her parents, who like her emigrated to the USA with minimal knowledge of the culture and language. Nury knows first hand the challenges and barriers that can at times impede progress within her community and is dedicated to being a voice for those who many times are not heard. Nury believes literacy and education are the key variables in moving the Latino emerging community forward. She has three sons, two of which are currently enrolled in GSU and one who graduated from UGA two years ago.
Nury’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Educational Leadership. She is certified in ESOL and Gifted Education. She has served in various roles in public education, including classroom teacher, parent coordinator for Title I Federal Programs, and local school administrator. She earned both of her degrees from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL.
In addition to her love for education and helping others see their full potential, Nury loves to travel and support aspiring authors publish their literary works in a bilingual format via her company 1010 Publishing. Nury is a huge advocate of the importance of culture and language.
She has been featured both locally and nationally for her work and increasing access to bilingual books across the globe. Some of her most recent awards include multiple recognition as 50 Most Influential Latinos, Dr. King’s True to the Dream Award, Mundo Hispanico Educator Award, and 2020 AINM Foundation Award for community leadership.