When I began in my role at the Lumina Foundation I often I'd get a pitch to build a data tool for "students." Yet when I asked for them to define what was meant by "students," the response was underwhelming.     This ocurred at a time when enrollment drops and  #attainment  data showed what we needed was an effort to reach  #todaysstudents  ,particularly  #adults  who identify as  #black ,  #hispanic ,  #nativeamerican  to empower them with the information they sought when deciding to enroll.   It is with that spirit, and understanding, that we engaged the thoughtful  Sova team of  Alison Kadlec   Verónica (Vero) Guajardo, PhD (she/her/ella) Stephanie Gardner, Ed.D.   Quintina Barnett Gallion  to conduct this research.  The goal of which was to hear directly from adult students of color to help ensure that current and future data tools feel relevant and useful to them ...

It’s professional  #goal -setting time of year. As I embarked on listing what I wanted to accomplish I reflected on a recent workday spent chaperoning a school field trip. Personally, I have always left vacation days in my back pocket rather than using them. A habit born part necessity, part (self & perceived) expectation, part potential payout when leaving the job and part privilege resulting from my wife being able to be home for the kids. Then, like many, the pandemic changed my perspective. I went from over a hundred flights a year to nearly none. I connected more deeply with my family and strengthened our bond. The opportunity costs of nights away revealed themselves in subtle ways. So, a couple of months ago when my daughter said her AP Art History class needed chaperones to go to Atlanta’s  High Museum of Art  - I offered to go. That’s how I got to my “vacation day.” Where I learned three things… That is how this post started, but on the bus ride back it change...