Program Director
Carolyn provides program leadership across EnCorps and is currently supporting Los Angeles/Orange County program operations.
Carolyn Fernandez has a strongly held belief that every child deserves an excellent education regardless of race or socioeconomic status, which has led her to dedicate her educational career to working with schools in under-resourced communities. She began her career in Information Technology, earning 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 to education. After returning to school to earn her master’s degree in Education, Carolyn served as 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 later served as the founding Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Soleil Academy Charter in Lynwood in 2018 before taking on the principal role for the next three years. As a teacher, Carolyn prided herself on setting a high bar of excellence for her scholars and creating opportunities for them to achieve great things. Through standards-driven lessons and cross-curricular units, she motivated students to take an active role in their learning in an environment that supported their diverse needs. As a literacy coach, she provided valuable job-embedded professional development to build teachers’ capacity and increase student achievement. As a principal and instructional team leader, she coached teachers in building strong relationships and using effective instructional practices to move the needle for their students. She is excited to bring her breadth of experience to EnCorps as Program Director and looks forward to supporting EnCorps educators in their efforts to help close opportunity gaps for students in under-resourced communities.