Ely Lupe is a first-born, first-generation, queer Chicana poet, theatre-maker, educator, and a proud product of Mexican immigrants and Southeast LA.  She attended NYU, acquired a Dual Master’s degree in Educational Theatre and English Education and is currently a high school English & Theatre teacher in Long Beach. Recently, she returned to her creativity and wrote a full-length play, El Hoyo Negro and a debut book of poetry, Chillona Chingona. Her aim is that her art helps people feel seen, heard, hopeful, and yearning to make positive change. Other ways she feeds her soul include doing yoga, consuming lots of art and nature, and spending quality time with loved ones and her dog.