Kendra Montejos Edwards joined the Charles Butt Foundation in January 2023 as the Senior Research Associate. Previously, Kendra worked as the Assistant Director of Admission and Multicultural Recruitment at Centre College. She led initiatives on recruiting and supporting Latinx, immigrant, and DACAmented students by creating programming and improving institutional policies. Prior to her Assistant Director role at Centre, Kendra co-founded an afterschool program for k-12 students in Danville, Kentucky, that focused on meeting students’ educational and social-emotional learning needs. During her time with the After-School Program, they received several local and national grants. Kendra entered the public education system in the U.S. as an immigrant student and English language learner. Kendra believes public schools thrive when we address student and family needs.
Kendra is completing her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a Master of Science in Educational Policies and Evaluations Studies at the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology at Centre College. She specializes in research looking at the intersection of immigration and educational policy by centering student stories of resistance. Kendra believes students, families, and teachers should inform education policy. She has also worked on research projects focused on STEM education, computer science teacher certification, and racialized learning environments.
Outside of work, Kendra enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. You can catch her sipping coffee at a local coffee shop or swimming in a pool with her family.