Starting out as a bilingual fourth grade teacher in Waukegan public schools while earning her master's degree, Johanna Gomez went on to teach in Chicago Public Schools for two years before joining the GEMS team as an assistant teacher for third and fourth grades. She has a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing and a master's in elementary education, with a minor in Spanish and bilingual and ESL endorsements.

Johanna’s main asset is her native language, Spanish, which has helped her grow in a multicultural Chicago. She finds teaching to be very rewarding and sees it as an opportunity to help people embrace their unique qualities and differences in others. At GEMS, Johanna sees a love for, and exploration of, diversity. She looks to teach her students to respect each other, find opportunities for success, take risks while being safe, and work both cooperatively and independently.