Sheila-Angela Esquivel is a highly accomplished and dedicated LatinX violinist with roots in the vibrant city of Chicago. Her musical journey began in the transformative El Sistema USA program and led her to excel in performance and academics at the esteemed Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where she obtained a BM in Violin Performance. Recently, she achieved her educational milestone as a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she received the prestigious Saul Zaentz Fellowship and a full-tuition scholarship. Her specialty in Educational Leadership, Organizations and Entrepreneurship with a concentration in Higher Education informs her work as the Director of External Relations for the New England Conservatory of Music. As an arts administrator and leader, Sheila-Angela has committed herself to advocating for individuals traditionally marginalized within the classical music field. Her primary focus is on creating equitable pathways for aspiring musicians to attain post-secondary education degrees in music. This mission stems from her belief that the arts have the power to change lives, instilling essential values and fostering personal growth. 

Kathleen Gasparian, founder of Gasparian Spivey Immigration (established in 2015), discovered her passion for immigration law through a diverse upbringing as a military child who lived in South Korea and Australia. Her career trajectory solidified during her tenure at Loyola University’s International Student Affairs office in New Orleans, where she interacted with Fulbright scholars and students, sparking her interest in legal advocacy. Kathleen earned her J.D. from Loyola’s evening program in 2002 and began her legal career as a judicial law clerk in Oakdale, Louisiana, through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.

Following her clerkship, Kathleen partnered with David Ware & Associates before co-founding Ware|Gasparian. Her commitment to immigration law led her to establish PB&J: Pro Bono & Juveniles in response to the 2014 surge of immigrant children at the U.S. southern border, providing crucial legal representation. Recognized for her dedication, Kathleen received the 2014 Super Lawyers Pro Bono Award and subsequent accolades for her advocacy, including the 2015 Louisiana State Bar Association Children’s Law Award and the 2015 Olga Vives Award from the National Organization for Women.

Beyond her practice, Kathleen serves as Chair of the Board for the Louisiana Language Access Coalition and holds board positions at the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and Immigration Services of Louisiana (ISLA). She teaches Immigration Law at Loyola University as an adjunct professor and is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), contributing extensively to legal education and regulatory advocacy within the field. Kathleen’s expertise is recognized through numerous publications and speaking engagements, cementing her reputation as a leader in immigration law and advocacy in New Orleans and beyond. She regularly appears in the media as a legal expert in immigration.