Niko Centeno-Monroy

Niko is an organizer, manager, activist, musician, artist, and D.O.P.E. (Dismantling Oppression Pushing Education). He is currently entering his 9th year working within the education and youth empowerment field and has held various titles and roles throughout his career that include ELA Teacher, Financial Literacy Instructor, and College and Career Access Manager. He joins the team as a Senior Program Facilitator of the Fly by Light Program by way of Eliot-Hine Middle School.

After growing up in and experiencing the public school system, Niko found himself on a path towards education as a means to build bridges and break barriers in order to address the various gaps that exist for our most marginalized and oppressed students. Simultaneously, Niko found a profound love and passion for music and the arts and has performed as a percussionist and lyricist since grade school. For the first time in his career, he will get to combine his passion for youth empowerment and music into one role and create everlasting impact and change in our greater community using the language of the people: music.

In his spare time, Niko enjoys traveling, hanging out with his dog, Shadow, playing and making music, attending live music events, spending quality time with his family, and reading a good book.