Los Angeles/ Orange County Program Manager
Carolyn Fernandez has a strongly held belief that every child deserves an excellent education regardless of their race or socio-economic status, which has led her to dedicate her entire educational career to working with schools in underserved communities. She began her career in Information Technology, obtaining her undergraduate degree in Management Science and Information Systems from Rutgers University and first worked in the financial and pharmaceutical sectors before making the switch into education. After returning to school in pursuit of her Masters Degree in Education, she was an Early Elementary Teacher at Jersey Community Charter School in New Jersey for 11 years before becoming a Literacy Coach for grades K-6. She served as the Founding Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Soleil Academy Charter in Lynwood in 2018 and then took on the Principal role for the next 3 years. As a Teacher, Carolyn had always prided herself in setting a high bar of excellence for her scholars and witnessing them achieve great things. Through standards-driven lessons and engaging cross-curricular units, she motivated scholars to take an active role in their learning in an environment that was supportive of their diverse needs. As a Literacy Coach, she provided valuable job-embedded professional development to build the capacity of teachers that translated into increased student achievement.  As a Principal and head of the Instructional Team, she coached teachers in building relationships and utilizing best instructional practices to move the needle for their scholars. She is excited to bring her breadth of experience to the EnCorps team as the Los Angeles / Orange County Program Coordinator and is looking forward to supporting EnCorps educators in their efforts to help close the achievement gap for students in high need communities.