Amanda is a graduate of Knox Central High School in Barbourville, KY and Wellesley College in MA, thanks to a QuestBridge Scholarship. Amanda was an early member of the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team, pioneering the group’s digital participation process by piloting the various video conferencing and communications tools that have since enabled students from across Kentucky to participate. She played an essential role in the Student Voice Team’s College Tripwires project, a student-led investigation into the inequities facing Kentucky youth in the process of navigating the postsecondary transition process. This work is what inspired Amanda to venture into education beyond Kentucky, by giving her a voice, a platform, and a private college counselor, Jane Shropshire, who graciously took her on pro-bono. Since starting school at Wellesley, Amanda has developed a passion for helping the public understand the hidden obstacles students from low-income, first generation, and rural families face in persisting to degrees in higher education. She pursued this passion through research at Wellesley and writing for various publications: EdSurge Independent, EdTech Times, and the national platform Student Voice!
While studying Education in her undergrad, she interned in marketing at Student Voice, EdTech Times, and the MIT Press. Most recently, she served as the College Prep Coordinator for Youth Enrichment Services where she put her innovative storytelling skills to use through workshop facilitation, newsletters, and connecting with youth.
