Professor Thornton-Guzman started her teaching career abroad right after she finished her undergraduate degree at Tulane University in American Politics and Policy. She journeyed to Kaohsiung, Taiwan to teach English classes to students everywhere from 4 to 16. Shortly after moving back stateside, she picked up and moved abroad for another teaching assignment in Reynosa, Mexico where she met her husband. Eventually earning her alternative certification, she became a 6th grade Math Teacher in Pharr, TX just across the border from Reynosa. Her love for History and Social Studies led her to move schools and take an 8th grade History position at IDEA Public Schools. After teaching different levels of Social Studies and earning her MAT in Teaching from Relay GSE, she eventually moved into a Lead Social Studies Curriculum Manager position, overseeing the curriculum for 3-8 Social Studies for all Texas schools within this large charter network. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate in Education from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Curriculum and Instruction, supports in other consultancy roles within the education sector, and conducts research focusing on social justice issues within social studies education. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her four children, Boba the dachshund, and her husband.