07/17/2026
A Living Tribute to Kirin Agustín Rajagopalan
Beloved Teacher, Forever Ours
From all of us at the Freedom School, to our founding Ethnic Studies and English teacher, our brother, our maestro, our Kirin.
At only 33, Kirin lived more fully and fearlessly than most of us dare to dream. He took education seriously.
He took our learning of our own history seriously.
And in doing so, he taught us that knowing where we come from is its own kind of freedom.
Just weeks ago, he completed his PhD at UC Davis, and was preparing to step into his dream: a tenure-track position as a Professor of Ethnic Studies at Los Medanos College, ready to open the same doors for others that he opened for us.
Kirin was full of life and full of gifts: an amazing and fearless educator, a musician, a chef, a social activist, a nurturer, an animal lover, an intentional and respectful traveler.
He cared deeply about his family, his friends, his community, and the justice causes he championed with precision, eloquence, and heart.
Food, culture, music and activism were some of his love languages, a way of pulling people close. He was brilliant and deeply humble. He simply made us want to be better humans.
His teachings live on in every student who learned their history in his classroom, in every young person who found their voice because he believed in them.
Rest now, maestro.
We will keep teaching what you taught us.
With boundless love,
The Freedom School 🕊️
