Isaiah Walker is Chief Program Officer at Common Ground Foundation.

“I have been a part of the education reform movement for years and my experiences have been life changing. I believe that the Surge Academy’s strong belief in adult development as a focal point for people of color, coupled with their relentless spirit toward providing an excellent as well as intensive leadership experience, packed with powerful content will open my mind and my eyes as a seasoned leader. I believe that the development around executive skills such as finance, strategic planning, and change management is great perpetration for me to strengthen my work in serving, providing access, and educating students from low-income communities. As an leader, I want to continue to provide myself with the opportunity to grow professionally and personally in hopes that my experiences and knowledge will ensure every child I come into contact with directly or indirectly have access to a high-quality education. Surge will support me in these efforts! Over the years, I have dedicated myself whole-heartedly to the mission of service. This work has always been vocation for me and I want to be able to utilize my own personal life lessons and experiences as a torch to build a place that leader, teacher, mentors, and students can would only dream of. I feel strongly this program will help me obtain this goal.”