Natalie Robinson Bruner was born and raised in Miami by two teachers. She grew up seeing them commit their lives in service to the education of others. Following in their footsteps, she attended the University of Florida where she majored in microbiology and minored in chemistry. She then continued the mission of educating others in Orlando by teaching high school biology and chemistry.

While in Orlando, she earned her master’s in public administration from the University of Central Florida. Next, Natalie moved to Mississippi and taught middle school integrated science. She moved again to New Mexico where she held various roles at the University of New Mexico.

During her time in higher education, she served as an academic advisor, education specialist, program manager, student affairs fellow and director of a Department of Education STEM grant. Her passion for STEM education afforded her the opportunity to give a TEDx talk on the Insanity of Exclusion in STEM.

Further exemplifying her dedication to educating others, she began her doctoral degree at the University of New Mexico focusing on creating cultural equity in education, which she plans to complete within the next few years.

Throughout her career, Natalie has been devoted to poverty alleviation through the education of youth. She now serves as the Youth and Development Director for the YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade.

The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. At the YWCA, they are committed to social justice through education, action and advocacy. Natalie accomplishes this at the YWCA by directing multiple programs, managing several afterschool sites, running technology clubhouses, providing career building for teens, developing camps, offering breast and cancer screenings to unserved women, building the financial capacity of the socioeconomically-challenged population, and creating a safe and engaging Most importantly, she is a loving and devoted mother of two boys. In her spare time, she explores her passions in hiking, volunteering and drawing.