Born and raised in New York, Ms. Lugo graduated from Longwood High School in 1985. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, a bachelor's degree in government and world affairs (minor in criminology) from The University of Tampa (magna cum laude), and an associate's degree from Pasco-Hernando Community College (with Honors). She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Psi Beta, and Pi Sigma Alpha honor societies.

She also is a member of the following professional organizations: The American Bar Association, The American Civil Liberties Union, and the NAACP.

Her professional business experience spans more than 25 years in sales, marketing, advertising, banking, college admissions, legal research, and legal drafting. Ms. Lugo has several years experience in the legal profession including internships at NASA Headquarters and The National Science Foundation in the DC area. She is certified in Lexis/Nexis and Westlaw research and has been a research assistant for a number of authors.

During her tenure in college admissions, she was a member of the admissions departments of Bryant & Stratton College and Tampa Technical Institute. She led the admissions team at Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute.

Ms. Lugo is an accomplished public speaker and has also been dedicated to a number of community organizations over the years including: Boys & Girls Club, The American Cancer Society, The Salvation Army, and the Restoration of Civil Rights Project

Ms. Lugo is a published author. She is currently a contributor on the affirmative action anthology Affirmative Action: Contemporary Perspectives slated for publication in 2013 and is working on her own book How do Hurricane Katrina's Winds Blow? Racism in 21st Century New Orleans slated for publication in March 2014, which is being published through ABC-CLIO - Praeger publishing.