Alumni Conversation Series: Introducing Lisa Hairston

Could you begin by introducing yourself?

I am Lisa Hairston and I came to TFA as a professional looking to have a greater impact in the

community in which I lived. It was important to me that my career and personal values were

aligned and make a difference beyond myself and teaching felt like the most natural progression

of serving humanity. I come from a family that is deeply rooted in service to humanity and before

I was in primary school, i was in a soup kitchen handing out utensils, with my dad, or at Red

Cross cleaning mannequins, after my mom taught a CPR class. It just felt fitting to join the

education community and continue serving. I believe now my role has evolved to help others

develop a better understanding of the world according to the communities that we are in and

that is not always a surface level glimpse of reality. This understanding comes from uplifting the

perspectives of educators that are watching the impact that the nuanced inequities have on their

student’s ability to learn and finding innovative ways to support their efforts to bridge the

learning loss & gaps and address scarcity.

Tell us about the work you do on staff?

I help assess needs and create solutions for educators to recruit and retain the broad coalition

needed for change in the education field. This draws a lot on all of my professional experience to

make this true in a way that is equity-driven and antiracist. Pulling from my experience as a

leadership development coach, it requires intentionality that illuminates identity work and why

each of us as individuals are essential to making sure that our work moves us towards an

equitable future and does not draw us back into times that were easier for some but oppressive

for others.

How has being an alum impacted your professional trajectory

Joining the Alumni team has allowed me to think more expansively about the way TFA can

impact the Alumni in a myriad of ways. Chiefly, is ensuring that Alumni efforts are seen and

heard so that their impact to the community is tangible. While this may not seem like a huge

deal, it can be the missing component that keeps a veteran educator in the school sphere

versus losing them to another endeavor. Teachers don’t teach because they intend to be

wealthy, they want to influence the lives of students that will ultimately change the world and

occasionally they need a pat on the back or a spotlight. The Alumni Leadership team is

constantly making this happen for our Alumni and the trickle effect to our partners schools and

their students is the proof!