Maggie Muñoz, Founder of Chiron Education Group LLC
I am the youngest of 6 kids born to immigrant parents. I was born and raised in Pilsen in Chicago. I came from a highly dysfunctional home where my dad was an alcoholic and my mother was always at work, so needless to say we were of a very low socioeconomic household. I was a high school drop-out and considered a “troubled” kid. I dropped out of school my sophomore year after having been enrolled in 5 different high schools. I was very bright becoming the president of my marketing class at Jones High School in downtown Chicago and was also athletic having joined the swim team, soccer, and basketball teams; but because of my truancy and grades, I was not allowed to participate in sports. I dropped out and got my GED at 17 yrs. I married a total stranger when I was 18 yrs old and moved out of my parents’ house because I was looking to escape the dysfunction, not knowing I was getting out of the frying pan and into the fire. My “husband” was abusive in every way. I escaped but I had a child by then. I went to work for minimum wage and by God’s grace paid for my divorce, childcare, and went back to college to become a teacher. I later moved in with my childhood and high school sweetheart and we were happy for a while. We had 3 kids together then he got hooked on heavy drugs. I left him and became homeless with 4 kids, the youngest was 1 week old and the eldest was in kindergarten. I did not have “family” support but again, by God’s grace, graduated college with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in psychology and got a job in Chicago Public Schools. I was a teacher for 8 years working with great middle school kids…this was my calling! I could help them in academics and also teach them life skills. I moved on to become an Educational Consultant with a large publishing company and I’ve been doing that for the past 8 years. I have volunteered at various places working with pre-teen kids and teenagers. I also give talks at various places that work with kids and mentor kids. I work with parents who have told me they didn’t know what to do and asked me to help them restore their relationships and connect with their kids. There is a saying, “No se estudia para ser padre.” (I know this has been true for many, myself included. So now I have created workshops and courses that provide parenting skills to parents, especially parents who feel they have “messed up” and feel it’s too late to learn and implement communication skills necessary to connect with their kids and for their kids to flourish and listen. I also have a curriculum for pre-teens and teenagers to teach them life skills, soft skills and leadership skills in a way that is not just another “program.” I speak at various organizations, groups and churches to provide guidance to educators, parents and adolescents/teens alike. My heart of service compels me to give from my years of experience, service and knowled