Lauren Brown is a Teacher on Special Assignment at Oakland Unified School District.

“For the past seven years, my passion has been teaching science and literacy TK-12. Many of my high school graduates have mentioned feelings of inadequacy when they enrolled in college-level science courses. My mission is to eliminate such feelings and bring confidence by ensuring that all students are able to have a strong understanding of their grade-level science standards. Our children have the desire, the want, but are restricted by the systems put in place by those who do not understand them. This is why I want to join the Surge movement. As a part of the Surge movement, I will continue to develop, empower and transform urban education ultimately increasing the number of people of color in STEM.”