Today, we are honored to profile the extraordinary Julia Rivera-Tapia, Executive Administrator, Inspira STEAM Academy in Las Cruces, NM.
In August, Julia Rivera-Tapia stood before New Mexico’s charter authorizers and heard the vote every founder hopes for: a unanimous (8-0) approval to open Inspira STEAM Academy in Las Cruces, NM.
The school will open in July 2026 with kindergarten and first grade, and will intentionally grow to serve K-5 by year five. Enrollment will be tuition-free and lottery-based, with transportation and universal meals designed to ensure equitable access.
In a city where fewer than 5% of public school students currently attend a public charter school, Inspira represents a new public option designed to help young learners become bilingual problem-solvers who are confident in language and in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
“I know this is going to change the community in Las Cruces,” she said. “Our kids are going to achieve.”
Julia’s vision is rooted in lived experience.
Finding the calling
Julia shared that she graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2005, after taking about six years to complete her undergraduate degree while exploring different career paths. Her mother, a devout Catholic, often lit candles and prayed to La Virgen de Guadalupe for guidance on Julia’s behalf. During her college years, Julia tried several fields— law, dentistry, geology, and even business— but none of them felt like the right fit.
It wasn’t until she volunteered with the Hispanic Radio Network as an undergraduate that she discovered her passion. Through this organization, she had the opportunity to work with families, children, and the wider community at the University of New Mexico. One of the projects she supported was Celebra la Ciencia, a National Science Foundation–funded program that traveled across the country to engage low‑income families in science activities designed to bring parents and children together.
“I remember leaving that day absolutely thrilled,” she said. “I was thrilled to work with the families. I was thrilled to work with the kids. I was thrilled that they had the opportunity to have hands-on projects, things that I did not get when I was growing up, and things my parents never had the opportunity to do.”
She shifted into the College of Education, earned a degree in bilingual education with a Spanish background, and began teaching kindergarten in Albuquerque.
Early on, she began noticing patterns in the system and started asking questions.
“As a new teacher, I wondered why there were seven kindergarten classes and only one fifth-grade class,” she recalled. “I was like, where are these babies going. What is happening?”
After completing her undergraduate studies, Julia enrolled in graduate school and was admitted to Columbia University. When she arrived in New York, she learned that one of her professors, Dr. Pagan, had written charters for two schools in Albuquerque: New Mexico International and Corrales International. This became her first introduction to charter schools.
While completing her Master’s program in New York, Julia studied charter schools through her leadership coursework and encountered innovative models that were still part of public education but operated with remarkable effectiveness. As part of her program, she worked with Dr. Pagan on developing a third charter proposal.
That same year, Julia left Albuquerque Public Schools and joined New Mexico International School as a first-grade teacher. During her time there, she gained firsthand experience with how charter schools function, manage funding, and achieve strong results with the same resources as traditional public schools. The experience was eye-opening for her.
“I was able to see what charters did and how we did it with the same amount of money and how we did it better,” she said.
She visited campuses, studied models such as the International Baccalaureate and inquiry-based learning, and became a strong advocate for family choice.
“We are not a one-size-fits-all. Absolutely not,” she said. “But we are a really good fit for some families, and that is what makes it so different and exciting.”
Motherhood sharpened that perspective. Julia’s three children thrive in very different learning environments, from online school to a leadership academy to an early college high school.
“My three kids learn differently,” she said. “And I think that, more than anything, is what we do as charter schools. We offer choice, and we offer a niche for kids and parents.”
Equity by Design
Julia’s approach to equity begins with listening.
“Many times, parents are unaware that they have a voice,” she said. “In charter schools, especially smaller ones, your voice really does matter.”
She is particularly mindful of cultural dynamics that can discourage families from speaking up, especially in Latino communities.
“We are kind of taught that ‘el Maestro sabe lo que hace,’ and the director is the boss,” she explains. “So we respect them and put our heads down. But schools do not know everything.”
That vision requires a particular kind of educator.
“This takes a very special teacher,” she said. “A teacher who is willing to be flexible and willing to learn. As long as we are learners, we can go from there. But if somebody is hardened in their ways, it is going to be difficult.”
One conversation, in particular, from her previous work helped shape a design decision for Inspira.
A parent repeatedly kept her child home on early release Wednesdays. When Julia reached out, she learned the reason. The parent was a single mother commuting between Las Cruces and another town for work, while her husband worked in El Paso. The commute could take anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on traffic. With no support system nearby, the shortened school day made Wednesdays nearly impossible.
“She was receiving these nasty letters from us,” Julia said. “But she never told us what was going on.”
When they spoke, Julia reassured her that the situation made sense and helped connect her with available support, including a free after-school program and the Boys and Girls Club, which could help with transportation if her commute ran late.
The experience stayed with her.
When writing Inspira’s charter, Julia designed professional development days so that they would not disrupt family schedules. Teachers will participate in professional learning in the mornings while students take part in enrichment activities. Students will still be dismissed at the normal time.
“For me, it was like, how many years are we going to keep doing early release, and how many kids are going to keep missing school?” she said. “Just ask families. If you can fix something, fix it.”
For Julia, equity is a feedback loop that begins with listening and leads to structural change. In 2024 she was recognized by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools for her work in education equity.
Why Dual Language and STEAM
Las Cruces is a border community less than an hour from Ciudad Juárez. The city is home to remarkable scientific assets, such as New Mexico State University and nearby aerospace and research corridors.
Yet Julia noticed a gap.
“We are a border town, and the programs that are bilingual here do not focus on the sciences,” she said. “When I looked at our surroundings, I thought, ‘ Why are we not focusing on the sciences?”
Julia’s own upbringing shaped her belief in bilingual education. Born in Chicago and raised between the United States and Mexico, she experienced immersion twice.
“I did not speak Spanish when we moved to Mexico,” she said. “When we moved back to the United States, I did not speak English. So I was immersed twice.”
For her, teaching science through dual-language instruction is both intuitive and practical.
“What better way to teach Spanish than through the sciences?” she said. “We have so many cognates, and the alignment is so natural. It is like, why not?”
Building a School
Launching a charter school has stretched Julia in new ways.
“There are a lot of moving pieces,” she said. “And I have really learned that I cannot do this by myself.”
A Public Charter Schools of New Mexico Charter School Program (CSP) subgrant is providing $2 million in startup funding. This money supports curriculum development, STEAM lab design, and the recruitment of bilingual educators.
“If it were up to me, you give me a date and a task, and I will get it done,” she said with a laugh. “But that is not how it works.”
Major decisions must move through governing boards, agencies, financial teams, and legal review. At first, the pace felt slow. Over time, she came to see the value in the process.
“It actually brings me comfort,” she said. “Because you have those checks and balances, and you are not making a million-dollar mistake by yourself.”
A Community Rallying
As Inspira approaches its inaugural year from 2026 to 2027, outreach across Las Cruces has been constant.
Julia and her team host meet-and-greets throughout the city, sometimes holding multiple events across a single weekend. The positive early response has surprised her.
“The level of support has really surprised me,” she said. “Families are rallying behind this. Sometimes when people show up to our events, I am like, oh, you do care. This is amazing.”
For Julia, that enthusiasm reinforces the mission.
The Invitation
Julia often describes her work with gratitude and with a clear sense of public purpose.
“It is a privilege to be part of charter schools,” she said. “Letting folks know how important we are in a community and the role we play for families.”
Some improvements, she believes, do not have to take years.
“There are things that we can immediately change that would make a big difference in how families succeed,” she said. “It becomes generational.”
Through Inspira STEAM Academy, she hopes to prepare students for many different futures.
“Not everybody is going to be an engineer at NASA,” she said. “But they will be prepared to be whatever they want to be and be strong in it. If they want to be an electrician, that is fine. Now you will be a bilingual electrician. If you want to be an artist, you will still have that science background.”
“And if they want to be an astronaut,” she added with a smile, “that is amazing too.”