She is a teacher from Los Angeles, California who was born to a poor immigrant family from Mexico and worked as a high school janitor, cleaning houses and doing a paper round with her mother when she was young to help bring money in.
She and her sister, Margarita, both attended Harvard and both received doctorates from the Graduation School of Education. Both have been on the faculty of the Concordia School of Education with Norma teaching cultural anthropology and also working as an administrator. She received her M.A. from UCLA, as well as working there as a research analyst. From 2004 she was an Associate Professor at Claremont Graduate University.
Outside of her education studies she performed as an alto in the Harvard University Choir and appeared on their holiday recording Christmas in the Busch.
Following her marriage, she became known as Norma Jimenez Fernandez.
Harvard University Choir recordings
Adeste Fidelis (Frederick Oakeley/John Francis Wade)
Pro Organo CD 7134 (Christmas in the Busch)
Conductor – Murray Forbes Somerville
Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra
Director – Robert Mealy
The Harvard Brass
Soprano – Awet Andemichael
Bass – Mark Risinger
Organists – Erica Johnson and Edward Jones
Here is the Harvard University Choir…
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