Erica Barnes began her Breakthrough journey as a Teaching Fellow in 2018 serving the Atlanta community. After graduating from Florida Agricultural University, she moved to Houston and began her teaching career serving as an English teacher for YES Prep Public Schools. Before becoming a Dean of Instruction for YES Prep, Erica continued with Breakthrough Houston as an Instructional Coach to develop as a leader. She plans to continue the fight for education equity and providing opportunities for underserved students in her position as Program Director at Breakthrough Houston. During her spare time, she enjoys running half marathons in different cities, reading, and discovering new recipes on Pinterest.