Jahaziel (ha-see-elle) Hiriart (hee-ree-art) serves as the Network Director of the Oklahoma Partnership for Expanded Learning (OPEL). She is responsible for creating a sustainable afterschool statewide network, strengthening its structure, fostering regional and local partnerships, and supporting systems and resources for afterschool in our state. She oversees the network’s initiatives and operations, including policy development and field projects.

Jahaziel was born and raised in Mexico. She lived in Texas before moving to Oklahoma to be close to family–her brother’s family lives in Owasso- and to pursue a master’s degree in International Business at OSU. What was supposed to be a 2-year stay has turned into more than a decade, making Tulsa her home, especially after marrying a Tulsan in 2020. She enjoys rollerblading, playing tennis, trying (and Yelping about) new food, and traveling with her husband, John Bizjack. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in education.

Jahaziel feels in harmony with her purpose when uplifting others and serving her community. She has served as a board member for Tulsa Global Alliance, Tulsa Honor Academy, TYPROS Foundation, and the Oklahoma Center for Community & Justice. She is also a member of the Latinx COVID-19 Outreach Committee, the YWCA Immigrant & Refugee Services and is a co-founder of Cultivate, Tulsa’s Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian & Multi-racial Collaborative Network. Additionally, she is the director of Latin Dance 918, a hub for all things Latin dance in Tulsa. Their performing teams, Ritmo 918, have performed 150+times in front of 24,000+ people in its seven years of existence.