Why We Invested
State-level policy decisions can have a significant effect on the lives and success of student parents, particularly in a state as large and diverse as California. In 2022, the passage of AB 2881, which made California the first state to require that educational institutions provide priority registration for student parents, signaled growing momentum for policy change to support the success of the state’s parenting students. We invested in two leading California-based policy and advocacy organizations, Education Trust-West and California Competes, to formalize and co-lead a coalition of partners working to advance policies that can meaningfully improve the lives of the state’s one in five college students who are raising kids, providing a model for other states around the country.
Education equity issues are so big and entrenched that no organization should try to take them on alone. I see my role as an advocate as encouraging and amplifying others’ voices as we drive for impact. As California’s colleges and universities move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are responsible for reimagining how we think about what is possible for our education systems, especially as they serve marginalized students like those that are parenting and experiencing poverty.