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The Center for Education Reform (CER) conference room is filled beyond capacity with white polka dot boxes and there is a consistent assembly line in progress to tie the beautiful red bows atop the boxes. The guest list is checked over and over and over again to ensure it is correct. After the last couple of months of precise planning by the CER team, it all comes together on October 14, 2013 for an extraordinary day to commemorate CER’s 20^th Year Anniversary.

The conference was infused with a plethora of significant advocates of education reform, yet the reaffirmation that grassroots organizations can in fact have great impact on an issue was enough to recharge my hope for education reform. The passion and fervor that leaders such as Janet Barresi, Bill Manning and the many others who were in attendance had when they spoke about education reform was powerful and inspiring. It was especially helpful in a field that can often get discouraging by the bureaucracy that exist and the hoops that must be jumped through when trying to make effective change in the education system.

I also enjoyed the panel discussion entitled “Changing the Complexion.” Dr. Howard Fuller spoke profound words about the inclusion of minorities within the education reform field. He stated that while it is important to change the complexion of those involved in the dialogue around education reform, it does not end there. If those individuals are not given the power to actively employ education reform policies within their communities, then changing the completion has no real benefit. As a minority woman of color, I seek to not only change the complexion of the discussion but also of what those in power look like. I hope to also empower suffering communities to use available resources such as CER and make meaningful change.

For me, the gala was a defining moment of the impact CER has had for the past 20 years and continues to have on the conversation and implementation of education reform. During both the Conference and Gala, countless individuals spoke of the great influence both the Center for Education Reform has offered them and the tireless ally Jeanne has been. It was also symbolic of how other individuals and organizations can come together and work for a common cause and create a revolution around the county.

Overall, I am so grateful to be interning at a wonderful organization that has made so much of an impact in the education field. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the history of CER.