EdSurge Voices of Change Writing Fellowship

April Jackson is an innovative educator, microschool founder and advocate for culturally relevant, student-centered learning. With over 15 years of teaching experience, April leads a successful microschool in Atlanta serving youth aged 8 to 13, where students consistently achieve two years of academic growth each year. Passionate about educational equity, they co-founded Black Microschools ATL, supporting over a dozen unconventional school leaders. A Village Microfund accelerator and pitch competition winner, April has spoken at Harvard Kennedy School and advised Georgia legislators on education policy. Their work blends academic excellence, real-world learning and sustainable mental health practices to empower marginalized youth and transform communities.

Dan Clark is a seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher at Lafayette Preparatory School in St. Louis, Missouri. With seven years of teaching experience, Dan is a fierce advocate for his fellow teachers and chairs the staff culture team at his school. When he’s not teaching, Dan is playing with his 3-year-old daughter, playing video games or pounding drums in a punk band. Dan loves reading, people, politics and music, and hopes to share those passions with his students and peers.

Melinda Medina is a Brooklyn-based educator, writer, aspiring leader and advocate with over a decade of experience supporting high school students with disabilities. An alumna of the NYC Teaching Fellows and the National Aspiring Principal Fellowship, Melinda specializes in inclusive education, culturally responsive leadership and career-connected learning. Melinda is the author of “Resilient Souls and Colliding Hearts,” published in 2024, and her education blogs have been featured by CheckIT Learning. As an Afro-Latina disrupter and lifelong learner, Melinda combines lived experience with professional expertise to empower youth. Outside the classroom, Melinda champions neurodiversity, mentors aspiring teachers and facilitates professional development for educators.

Nikita Khetan is the Head of Program and a founding educator at Red Bridge, an innovative K-8 school in San Francisco. A Bay Area native and Teach For America alum, she began her career teaching elementary grades in district, charter and independent schools. Nikita also spent time as a curriculum writer at an edtech company. At Red Bridge, Nikita designs school systems that foster student agency in addition to supporting teachers, kids and parents. Deeply committed to raising good humans, Nikita’s work centers on creating meaningful, rigorous learning experiences that nurture both academic and personal growth.

Patrice Wade is a trailblazer in technology education and Director of Technology at Guilford Preparatory Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina. With a background in corporate leadership, she now brings innovation, strategy and purpose into the classroom. Patrice teaches computer science, coding, drones and robotics, creating hands-on learning experiences that show students they belong in tech. Patrice is a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, a Code.org Facilitator, a Girls Who Code Leader and an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador. She also serves as a North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Learning Happens Here Ambassador, committed to building equity and opportunity through meaningful transformation in technology education.

Sofia Gonzalez is a 16-year veteran educator and high school English teacher at Morton East High School in Cicero, Illinois. Named the 2019 Educator of the Year with the National Society of High School Scholars, Sofia is also an education activist. A proud Latina and Vice President of the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 5238, she is an avid writer, published poet and longtime blogger. Sofia is a sought-after speaker on education equity and trauma-informed practices, known for her powerful storytelling, spoken word and dynamic presentations. An alumna of Fulbright, Latinos for Education, Latinx Education Collaborative and Urban Leaders Fellowship DC, she writes and speaks to transform systems.