Lashawn is a staunch advocate for parents and students in her community. She comes to this work based on her own experience of fighting for the best education for her own children in her hometown on Hartford, Connecticut. At the time her teenage son wasn’t being challenged in his neighborhood school, so Lashawn started to process to enroll him in a magnet school that focused on science and engineering. However, he remained on the waiting list because the school had already reached its maximum number for minority students at 75%.
Lashawn sought legal assistance for this and is fighting against a policy in the state that she believes is discriminatory. Her work will focus on educating parents and students in her community so that they are equipped to so that they are empowered to tackle issues that affect them directly. She wants to amplify her own voice as well as the voice of other parents who just want the best for their children. As a proud black woman and mom, she is determined to be a game changer in her community and beyond.