Shirley Murillo’s career has taken her on many pathways. One path led her to become an Infant/toddler specialist for the Program for Infant Toddlers Caregivers (PITC). A much longer path crossed halfway around the world to New Zealand. There her exposure to “Learning Stories,” a widely used technique to assess children’s learning in New Zealand’s “Te Whāriki” early childhood curriculum, inspired her to publish multiple books, including Observation and Infants and Toddlers Growth and Development. Ms. Murillo’s books provide additional resources and content in Spanish to help expand the knowledge of providers, caregivers, and early childhood professionals in the Latinx and Spanish-speaking community, where Ms. Murillo is an active member.

Ms. Murillo has worked as adjunct faculty for multiple universities and community colleges across the country, including Union Institute & University, UC Davis Extension, UC Riverside Extension, Sacramento City College, College of Marin. She continuously creates opportunities to prepare professionals and Early Childhood Education students to enhance their ability to work effectively with Latinx families and their children.