Demontea Thompson is a doctoral candidate in UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies, Urban Schooling Division. His research explores how educational institutions can facilitate success for marginalized students, particularly those who have had interactions with the child welfare and justice system. Demontea is a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and aims to counter the master

Keara Williams is a doctoral student in UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies, Urban Schooling Division. She is a high school English teacher committed to social justice and giving back to her community. She believes in teaching a curriculum that centers students of color experiences and values students’ assets. Keara received her BA in

Sam Blanchard is a doctoral student in the Urban Schooling division at the University of California, Los Angeles. Sam’s research interests focus on external social, political, and economic conditions, such as trauma and poverty, and their impact on student experiences, in addition to how schooling practices cause trauma. Prior to attending UCLA, Sam was an