Esther J. Cepeda biography

Born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, Esther Cepeda is a Lane Technical High School graduate who attended Southern Illinois University, earning a bachelor's degree in journalism with minors in music and psychology. She was awarded a full scholarship to the Medill School of Journalism where she studied for a year before going into direct marketing and public relations for a variety of Chicago companies.

In 2002 Ms. Cepeda taught as a bilingual teacher in low-income grammar and high schools in the suburbs of Chicago while earning a master's in special education from Roosevelt University.

Before coming to the Sun-Times, Ms. Cepeda was a columnist writing about national and local politics and social issues for weekly and daily newspapers and magazines across the country. She joined the staff of the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006 where she focuses on issues affecting the Hispanic community.

In addition to being a journalist, Ms. Cepeda is a musician, singer, dancer and an artist. She lives with her family and two tan Chihuahuas in a suburb of Chicago.