Leticia Egea-Hinton is one of the first nine members appointed by Mayor Kenney to the Philadelphia Board of Education (BOE) in April 2018. Beginning in July 2018, the Board will oversee the School District of Philadelphia.
Leticia was the first in her family to earn a high school degree and to graduate from college. She attended Chestnut Hill College and Antioch University, and earned a Master in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Fluent in English and Spanish, Leticia has specialized for 28 years in homeless services, having served as the Director of the Office of Emergency Shelter and Services and as Director of the Office of Supportive Housing. She is currently an adjunct professor of social welfare at Alvernia.
What area of the city do you call home? What are your hobbies?
I live in Wynnfield Heights South, and I lived in Strawberry Mansion for over 30 years before I moved there. That’s where I raised my children.
Most of what I like to do in my free time is hang out with my family. I’m very family-oriented. I’m a knitter and a crocheter, and the other hobby I have is dancing salsa. I was raised dancing, so I enjoy it and it’s a nice way to socialize with friends. I also enjoy traveling.
Who were the people in your life who helped you to form your values and why?
My mother has been instrumental in terms of my values. My family moved a lot and I experienced homelessness, so I know what it’s like being hungry and not having what other kids have. In spite of these challenges, I had a strong mother and was the oldest of my siblings, so I understood responsibility from an early age. Being transient as a child also meant that new environments and being “the new kid” wasn’t that scary for me.
My mother’s strength really influenced me, and so did my aunt Felica. She taught me how to put in my own phone line and how to put up my own wallpaper. She showed me that you don’t have to wait for anybody to do anything for you. I was raised by very independent women.
What motivated you to apply to join the Board of Education?
I know what it’s like not to be able to advocate for yourself. It seems very natural to me that I ended up in human services for so much of my career. Many of the issues I’ve been involved in have been issues in my own family. I have to advocate for those who don’t have a voice. It’s who I am. I did it for my siblings, and it started with how I grew up with my mom.
Tell us about a teacher who made a positive impact in your life during your K-12 education.
While I was in high school at John W. Hallahan, I participated in a youth leadership program run by Aspira. As part of this program a priest, Father John Donahue, took us to Chestnut Hill College. I’d never been on a college campus before. That trip sparked in me a desire and an interest in a new world and the concept of college.
Father John was a priest – a Jesuit – but he was not unapproachable. He was a regular person to us, the students. And the fact that he took the time to inspire us to achieve things like going to college – that’s his legacy. He really changed my entire world.
My mom was not very happy about it. I think she was afraid of the idea of me going to college because I was talking about living on campus. I made a hard choice, but I was the first in my family to graduate from college.
What do you hope to learn or gain a better understanding of during the listening tour?
I really want to hear the voices of the people and what they really believe is needed. I don’t expect the public to have all the answers, but I wonder if there are ideas that we, the Board, could be missing.
I hope that people will really come out there and focus on what children need in the city. And my hope is that there will be some children there, to share what they desire and what they need.
We won’t implement every idea that comes up, but I truly believe that people need to be heard. I see this as an opportunity not just to hear people but to truly listen.
What do you think of the slate of Board appointees?
Having heard other Board members share some of their own stories, what I recognize is that we’re not all that different in what we desire and what we want for the children and the City of Philadelphia. That has been the most important discovery, that we are not that far apart. We each have varying life experiences but they’re connected. That’s what I find exciting, and I look forward to working with a group of people that really are passionate and committed to putting in the kind of time that this is going to require.
