Increasing impact through diverse connections

Growing up, Andrew Clarence was aware of just how much identity and zip code determine your access to a quality education.

“As a Black Afro-Latino male who grew up all over the country, I was exposed to how different education looks from state to state, city to city, school to school, income level to income level, and among different races and ethnicities. Education looked drastically different for schools within a 5-mile radius of each other.”   

As a result, Andrew believes that communities should partner together to ensure students are getting a rich and diverse experience. Andrew saw the Emerging Equity Leaders Fellowship (EELF) as an opportunity to work on that collaboration and gain skills to establish himself as a powerful contributor to the change he believes in.

EELF’s equity impact project (EIP) allowed Andrew and his group to support collaboration among communities in service of students. Their project developed a plan to inform schools and community organizations about the protections afforded to students with different immigration statuses under California’s Senate Bill 54. They also developed recommendations that schools, communities, and local law enforcement could adopt to help them implement those protections — including training school safety officers and providing “know your rights” sessions for teachers and families.

“My EIP was a fantastic opportunity to gain skills and experience that translate to real-world applications. We focused on supporting immigrants and refugees of all immigration statuses in the state of California.”

Andrew took full advantage of the one-on-one coaching and leveraged the opportunity to problem solve with an experienced leader in the movement toward equity.

“The coaching through the Fellowship may have been the most impactful thing when it came to tackling issues as they came up in my work. My coach was able to give resources or new ways of thinking about an issue to find a solution.”

If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply for the Emerging Equity Leaders Fellowship. This part-time fellowship gives members of color an exclusive professional development opportunity to move into higher-level roles in policy, advocacy, or organizing. Your dream job is waiting. Go out and get it. Apply for the Emerging Equity Leaders Fellowship by July 10.