Kawena Cole is the Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program, where she is responsible for providing technical assistance and capacity building to District Foster Youth Liaisons at the local education agencies in region 1 (Antelope and Santa Clarita Valley) of Los Angeles County.
Kawena decided to enroll in LMU's Ed.D. Program because of the emphasis on social justice. She wanted to be part of a program that not only looks at leadership, but also the ways in which we leverage our leadership skills to create a just educational experience for students and staff.
Kawena’s dissertation, “Examining Foster Youth Education Legislation,” chaired by Ernesto Colin, Ph.D., explored AB 490 District Foster Youth Liaisons’ perspectives regarding what the challenges are and what is working well when they are trying to fulfill their role of supporting students in the child welfare system through ensuring foster youth education legislation is properly implemented.
Participating in the Ed.D. Program has supported Kawena’s impact in education by enhancing her leadership skills, training her as a researcher, and providing an opportunity to grow her network in the field.