Leesa is excited to continue contributing as a collaborative scholar practitioner, lifelong learner, and Marie Fielder Fellow, as a San Francisco Bay Area Native with over 12 years of experience as a professional and researcher in Education. She greatly enjoys the honor and privilege of serving communities in various capacities supporting students, faculty, staff, and families of learning communities in various leadership/professional roles, across age ranges locally, nationally, and internationally, with diverse foundations from directing school programs, K-5, K12 to adult learners in undergraduate and graduate higher education. Leading management and implementing of technology and curriculum in schools across the country with educators, district leaders, and communities, Leesa believes in providing a strong foundation of resource support, collaborating with education leaders and communities, from cradle to career/college readiness, fostering positive learning experiences for all students and communities in and outside of the classroom towards lifelong learning. 

As a first-generation doctoral candidate in the Organizational Development and Change PhD program (HOD-ODC) with a concentration in Media, Technology, and Innovation (MTI) at Fielding Graduate University, Leesa enjoys contributing to the Fielding and overall learning community of faculty, staff, and students. Collaborating as an award winning team with research at national and international conferences, member of the Alumni Board of Directors, and City Government Housing and Services Councils, academically, her foundations include (B.S in Sociology) concentrations in Organizations and Inequalities, minor in Science Technology and Society from Santa Clara University, emphasis in Information Technology, with interests in developing how learning shapes technology, and how technology impacts/shapes learning (earning Master’s Degrees in Educational Leadership -Santa Clara University and Master’s -Human Development from Fielding). 

Specializing in Social Emotional Learning, providing resources towards the digital divide of technology access, and opportunity gap, Leesa’s experiences encompass creating personalized learning plans, contributing to multi-million dollar grant and financial aid scholarship efforts, mentoring, institutional/organizational qualitative/qualitative research, and resources towards student success from undergraduate and graduate admission, enrollment/recruitment, and student services including as guest speaker/lecturer, and presenter for various institutions, and international conferences, including hosting a series of workshops on implementation and diversity equity initiatives/action plans. Leesa’s involvements at Fielding include HOD Student Governance School of Leadership Studies (Student Affairs Committee), President’s Advisory Global Inclusion Council, Co-Leading coordinating the SF Bay Area and Beyond Cluster, NISOD National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development), SPHS Society of Phenomenology and Human Sciences, AOM-Academy of Management. Also, a member of the Paradigm Shifter Student cohort, featured in Fielding 2021 Focus magazine issue, Fielding Team for the SLS Winter Session Best Research Poster Project Award 2021, previous recent of Fielding HOD and Provost Achievement Scholarships, and a member of the Emerging Scholars Research Consortium (ESRC-International Leadership Association (ILA) Conference, and Fielding DEI Alumni Conference, and Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA). Overall, Leesa is dedicated and committed to and greatly enjoys efforts towards lifelong learning, holistic education, data informed design, and resources and initiatives/programs developing and encouraging student and learning communities thriving towards their full potential.