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Dr. Dawn River has served in education for 25+ years. She started her educational work journey as a paraprofessional supporting students at an Alternative Education Program for high school students in Los Angeles Unified School District. This time with students ignited Dawn’s passion to serve students who need more from the educational system. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in English and teaching credentials, she began to teach 5th grade at a Title I school with a mostly Latinx population. After earning a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dawn and her husband relocated to the SF Bay Area. This relocation led to the opportunity to continue serving students at Title I and “low-performing” schools. Since 2004, she has continued to serve students in two Bay Area Districts as a classroom teacher, intervention teacher, specialist, professional development provider, and manager of State and Federal Programs. After earning a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice and to expand her reach of influence, Dawn began working at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. At the County Office of Education, Dr. River has continued her work supporting the often underserved and underestimated 100,000+ African American and Latinx students, as well as, the many thousands of students who are considered as “low income” in the county. She has also focused her work on family and community engagement to shine a spotlight on how important family involvement is to a child’s educational journey. Improvement to the experience of students and young people is a top priority for her.