Omolara ‘Jola’ Lawal is a Houston native who completed City Teaching Alliance in the District of Columbia as a member of Cohort 2016 before returning to Dallas, Texas to further her life-long commitment to education. She earned a bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Masters in Education from The Johns Hopkins University. She is a strong advocate for building relationships and connections through education, life-long learning, and nurturing the whole child through meaningful and culturally competent and relevant experiences. With a fiery passion for educational equity, she enjoys reading and writing, performing spoken word, and creating pathways for students and teachers to succeed within the classroom and beyond.