Rakhi Mistry is a 2024-2025 Teach Plus Illinois Affinity Group Facilitator. She is a 9th/10th grade special education teacher, District Equity Leadership Team member, Lake Park South Asian Student Alliance staff advisor, yoga and mindfulness practitioner, and Equity and Wellness Facilitator for the National Education Association/Illinois Education Association. Rakhi advocates for South Asian students via cultural development. She has offered workshops on mental health and trauma-informed practices and presented at several Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) conferences. Rakhi was named Sector celebrity (2022) for her equity-driven leadership, and she received the National Education Association’s Community Advocacy & Partnership Engagement Grant. She began her union work in 2012 as a state presenter in trauma-informed practices and wellness and continues to support members in the state and nationally. Rakhi earned her BA in special education from Northern Illinois University, an MEd in educational technology from National Louis University, and MEd in educational leadership from Concordia University.
