Shalea Semana received her Bachelor's degree in Communications & Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington, and her master's in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University. Shalea taught for 8 years in Oakland, CA, where she developed classroom environments in grades 2-4 that offer rigorous, engaging lessons in a nurturing, structured learning community. She has a strong passion for supporting educators with skills to provide high quality instruction and expectations. But what keeps her in the classroom is her love for fostering student independence and youth activism, providing opportunities for students to critically think and express themselves. Ms. Semana is determined to make sure all scholars and educators have exactly what they need in order to grow and thrive.