Gender
Female
Ethnicity
Hispanic/Latino
Hobbies and interests
Running
Volunteering
Yoga
Travel And Tourism
Education
Science
Surfing
Weightlifting
Learning
Community Service And Volunteering
STEM
Exercise And Fitness
Business And Entrepreneurship
Dog Training
Reading
Adult Fiction
Biography
Classics
Travel
Social Issues
Literature
Technology
I read books multiple times per week
Karla Gonzalez
7,715
Bold Points43x
Nominee3x
Finalist2x
WinnerKarla Gonzalez
7,715
Bold Points43x
Nominee3x
Finalist2x
WinnerBio
I’m a doctoral student passionate about educational equity. As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in a low-income family and former public school teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how education can change lives.
Today, I partner with school districts to ensure hundreds of thousands of students can access high quality educational resources and build their AI literacy skills. At UCLA, I’m currently completing my dissertation on how school districts implement artificial intelligence to accelerate student learning. Your support today can play a critical role in building the toolkit I'll need to continue driving outcomes at scale for students from under-resourced communities. Thank you for your consideration!
Education
University of California-Los Angeles
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Education, General
Johns Hopkins University
Master's degree programMajors:
- Education, General
Stanford University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- History
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Career
Dream career field:
Non-Profit Organization Management
Dream career goals:
CEO
District Partnerships Manager
Khan Academy2022 – Present2 yearsIndividual Giving Manager
Khan Academy2018 – 20224 yearsDirector of Client Relations and Senior Consultant
Cortex College Consulting2017 – 20203 yearsAcademic Initiatives Coordinator
The SMART Program (Schools, Mentoring, and Resource Team)2017 – 20181 yearStrategic Planning Associate
The SMART Program (Schools, Mentoring, and Resource Team)2016 – 20171 yearTrip Director (Summer)
Travel for Teens2016 – 2016Senior Counselor (Summer)
Travel for Teens2015 – 2015Teach for America Corps Member and High School Teacher
Baltimore City Public Schools2014 – 20162 yearsAsia Field Intern (Summer)
The Solidarity Center2013 – 2013Research Assistant
Stanford University2012 – 20142 yearsAsia Field Intern (Summer)
The Solidarity Center2012 – 2012Office Assistant, Undergraduate Advising and Research
Stanford University2010 – 20111 yearYoung Ambassador, Smithsonian Latino Center
The Smithsonian Institution2010 – 2010Math Tutor
Long Beach Unified School District2008 – 20102 years
Sports
Track & Field
2006 – 2006
Surfing
2008 – 20102 years
Awards
- Student Athlete of the Year
Research
Education, General
UCLA — Doctoral Researcher2021 – PresentLaw
Stanford University Center on Poverty and Inequality — Research Assistant2013 – 2014American History (United States)
Stanford University Spatial History Project — Research Assistant2012 – 2013
Arts
Mambonova Dance
Dance2017 – 2019Guitar course
Music2010 – 2010
Public services
Advocacy
Khan Academy — Lead, Black and Latinx Affinity Group2019 – 2023Advocacy
Latino Community Foundation — Giving Circle Leadership Council2018 – 2023Volunteering
UCLA Campus Programs Committee — Graduate Student Representative2021 – 2022Volunteering
Graduate Student Association, UCLA — Director of Campus Relations2021 – 2022Volunteering
Nuestra Casa of East Palo Alto — Board Member and Fundraising Committee Chair2018 – 2020Volunteering
ScholarMatch — Varsity College Coach2018 – 2020Volunteering
Stanford University — Alumni Mentor to first generation low-income students2018 – 2020Public Service (Politics)
New Leaders Council — Fellow2019 – 2019Advocacy
Teach For America — Rising Leaders Fellow2018 – 2019Volunteering
Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley — Senior Fellow, Latino Board Leadership Academy2018 – 2018Volunteering
The Smithsonian Latino Center — Fundraising Committee Lead and Advisory Group Member2018 – 2020Volunteering
Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto — Translator2017 – 2018
Future Interests
Advocacy
Politics
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Future Female Educators Scholarship
WinnerAs a first-generation, low-income Latina, inequitable circumstances were a reality growing up. At fourteen, I learned to balance school while working twenty hours a week. At seventeen, I navigated college applications without the generational know-how afforded to the children of college graduates. Soon after, I arrived at Stanford, where I committed myself to opening doors for students from backgrounds like mine. Growing up I faced a lot of challenges, but future students might not have to if changes were made to our existing systems.
After graduation, a desire to help others access educational opportunities led me to teach in Baltimore. Growing up I learned that hard work, even if that meant working twice as hard, translated into opportunity and success. In Baltimore, I learned that sometimes inequity is so vast that a student’s hard work alone is not enough. My students deserved better, so I organized college tours, offered free SAT prep and college counseling after school, and tried to fill in the gaps my students faced. As I removed barriers for my students, I wondered how all students, not just those in my classroom, could be supported at scale. When I left the classroom, I committed to making every space I touch more equitable.
Today, I determine what to spend my time on based on its potential to build an equitable world. I have raised millions of dollars for Khan Academy, an online platform that provides free, educational resources to millions of students every month, coached low-income students through the college application process, and led a giving circle that invests thousands of dollars a year in Latinx led nonprofits educating youth. I have also advocated for the needs of low-income students of color in spaces of privilege I can access. At Khan Academy, this advocacy translated into an organizational wide shift to better serve historically under-resourced students. At UCLA, as the Graduate Student Association's Director of Campus Relations, I spearheaded a project to interview dozens of graduate students, focusing on students from under-resourced backgrounds, to better understand how UCLA can create an environment where all students can thrive.
Along the way, I learned a lot about education’s shortcomings, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds like mine, and how I can contribute. Since starting my Ed.D. in the Educational Leadership Program, I have a better understanding of how to address educational inequity. In the future, I hope to lead a team delivering world-class educational technology resources to students and serve on an elected school board where I can drive student outcomes at scale. An Ed.D. at UCLA is a unique opportunity to hone the research and leadership skills that will ensure I can contribute in educational spaces where voices like mine— those of a first-generation college going woman of color from a low-income background—are too often missing. Students from low-income backgrounds deserve as much opportunity as students from more affluent backgrounds, and I am committed to making that a reality.