Policy solutions: 5 questions for Strada’s Gabriella Gómez
Growing up as a young Mexican American was not always easy, but Gabriella “Gaby” Gómez had her own North Star to follow, specifically when it came to opening doors and keeping them open for others to follow. She watched her single mother work hard to provide her with opportunities, but also help open doors for others.
So after earning an undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University and a master’s degree from Harvard University, Gómez came to Washington, D.C., to do what she does best: pave the way for future generations of learners so they can access opportunities and also open doors for others to follow.
As Strada’s inaugural executive vice president for policy, advocacy, and communications, Gómez herself has been somewhat of a trailblazer. Since joining Strada in 2023, she has led the development of the organization’s first public policy agenda and spearheaded state and federal advocacy campaigns to support Strada’s strategic goals. She also leads Strada’s strategic communications team, whose work this past year includes rethinking and refreshing Strada’s brand and creating a new and improved website.
Why are Strada’s efforts to support federal and state policymakers so important for creating more opportunity in education?
Strada’s North Star, not unlike my own, is laser-focused on connecting education with opportunity. We believe that every person — no matter where they start — should be able to see the way ahead to a quality education and a fulfilling career. During my career, I have focused on how to use federal and state policy to provide better access to opportunities in education. By doing so, we open doors that previously have been closed to generations of learners. In this pursuit, I fulfill a promise to my mother and all who have followed since to create a better future.
The policy landscape for postsecondary education has changed dramatically in recent years. What are you most excited about right now?
Learners today are much more savvy than I was when I was contemplating my future. Today’s students, despite the fact that many of them are facing significant hurdles in life, are demanding the information and resources they need in order to advance economically. I believe that at the heart of this determination and drive is a simple desire to work hard, contribute to society, and thrive. If postsecondary education can be responsive to their needs and adapt to the constantly changing needs of our very busy and data-driven world, then we really have a chance at achieving our goals.
Communicating with a wide range of stakeholders can be challenging. What are the most important characteristics of strong communications?
Know your audience — and I say this as someone who has misstepped when I have not taken my own advice. Take some time to learn about the people you are talking to or trying to engage. If you don’t understand people, then you can’t communicate with them effectively. You end up talking at them, and nobody wants that. Also, speak with your own voice and about what you know and care about. Authenticity is key.
Advocating for policy is not easy and requires a lot of patience. How do you manage to stay focused on your goals without getting discouraged?
I reflect on the many late nights negotiating legislation on Capitol Hill, or the weekends spent reviewing volumes of budget proposals while at the U.S. Department of Education. There were hard nights and days, but there was a payoff. I was fortunate to see the impact of this work, for instance, with increases to Pell Grants for more students, or providing access to loan forgiveness for those in the public sector.
How has your personal life story affected the work you do at Strada?
As the beneficiary of many opportunities in my education and in my professional experience, I feel this immense responsibility to do better and, just as important, not only to open doors but also to keep them open for the many who will come behind. I carry that with me everywhere. That desire really has informed and inspired both my work and my life, and I hope that never changes.
The longtime insurance brokerage executive and Strada trustee begins his second term as board chair.
Cobert, who has extensive public and private sector experience, will oversee the Strada affiliates and relationships with other nonprofits.
Ellspermann, Flores, and Williams will provide leadership and support for Strada’s strategic plan, with a goal of creating more effective links between education and employment.
The education policy advocate brings extensive federal experience to shape policy solutions that strengthen pathways to opportunity.
Reindl, Rigdon, and Valle-Palacios will head newly established teams that will focus on collaboratively shaping policy at the state and federal levels to create pathways to opportunity for more people.
The initiative,designed to support aspiring leaders at HBCUs through scholarships and work-based learning opportunities, expands to 50 schools.
The higher ed leader will provide collaborative leadership to help Strada strengthen the link between education and opportunity in America.
The recognition, awarded to Strada plus all four organizations that make up Strada Collaborative — CAEL, Education at Work, InsideTrack, and Roadtrip Nation — signals continued prioritization of DEI efforts.
Austin will assume the role permanently after leading Strada’s financial operations through a leadership and strategy transition as interim CFO.
The postsecondary education policy leader will oversee the nonprofit organization’s advocacy work with state and federal policymakers.
The experienced corporate leader and legal expert brings a diverse range of experience to guide Strada’s legal team and serve the organization’s board of trustees.
The former U.S. Commerce Department official will head the social impact organization’s strategy and innovation team.
Higher education’s measurement of student success is in the midst of an evolution. For nearly five decades, success efforts focused on access, then two decades with completion as the horizon for success, and now the focus is extending to student outcomes beyond completion.
Strada’s prior research on undergraduate perceptions of the value of their education demonstrates that students value their education most when they receive support to connect their education and career interests.
In the wake of historic pandemic-related enrollment declines, postsecondary institutions have responded by developing and expanding innovative approaches to engaging learners.
Students can see the high costs of education, but a clear and predictable career path is more opaque in an ever-shifting labor market transformed by remote work, gig work, outsourcing, automation, artificial intelligence, and global supply chains.
Steep declines in undergraduate enrollment during 2020 and 2021 threaten to widen existing equity gaps in college completion and career opportunities.
Nondegree credentials have been growing rapidly for decades. During the COVID-19 economic crisis, interest in nondegree credentials and skills training options was especially high. Questions about their quality and value, however, remain.
The high school classes of 2020 and 2021 have endured massive disruption to their education.
In order to inform solutions for how to reconnect with young adults whose education plans have been disrupted, Strada Education Network is conducting a multiphase research study with high school graduates from 2020 and 2021.
The pandemic has led to a national crisis of widespread disruption to both work and education for millions of adults in the U.S., especially those from historically marginalized groups.
Already, an estimated 28 million Americans have canceled education plans, results from the fifth week of this nationally representative survey* show.
Over the past 15 years, the number of student loan recipients has increased by 51 percent and the debt associated with those loans has more than doubled.
In the recovering economy, employers will play a central role as Americans look to reskill, upskill, and compete in the workforce.
This week’s data are based on the Strada Student Viewpoint and Strada-Gallup Education Consumer surveys.
The economic impact of COVID-19 is widespread, but the ramifications are felt disproportionately among people of color.
This week’s data are based on the Strada Public Viewpoint and Strada Student Viewpoint surveys, which together collected more than 25,000 responses this year.
Our mission is to improve lives by forging clearer and more purposeful pathways between education and employment.
Breaux, Jenkins, and Olinger join the governing board; Coulis is selected as board chair for the national social impact organization focused on strengthening education-to-employment pathways.
Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans feel stuck at work and unconvinced a good job or opportunities to advance are within their reach.
COVID-19 is Disrupting Students’ Confidence in the Value of Higher Education
These insights are from the Strada Student Viewpoint survey, which collected more than 4,000 responses from students at four-year institutions between Sept. 10 and 25.
The nationally representative Public Viewpoint survey, with more than 17,000 responses collected between March 25 and Sept. 3, is intended to provide insights to the education and training providers, policymakers, employers, and individual Americans who are navigating the COVID-19 crisis.
The nationally representative Public Viewpoint survey, with more than 16,000 responses collected between March 25 and Aug. 20, is intended to provide insights to the education and training providers, policymakers, employers, and individual Americans who are navigating the COVID-19 crisis.
Five months into the pandemic, Americans are now three times more likely than they were in April to believe COVID-19’s impact will last more than a year.
The nationally representative Public Viewpoint survey, with more than 14,000 responses collected between March 25 and July 23, is intended to provide insights to the education and training providers, policymakers, employers, and individual Americans who are navigating the COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 crisis continues to touch nearly every aspect of American life, but the latest Strada Public Viewpoint research shows Americans’ interest in online learning would be significant with or without the effect of the pandemic.
This week’s data also shows what is motivating the workers looking to change fields—and for about half, the decision isn’t about finances or career advancement.
COVID-19 is taking the lives of Americans and disrupting the fabric of work, education, and daily living for the entire nation, but the impact is disproportionately affecting people of color.
After weeks of impact to Americans’ emotional and economic well-being because of COVID-19, many are beginning to consider what will come next in their lives.
Responses from more than 7,000 adults now are included in this survey*, updated weekly and designed to track the impact of the pandemic on American lives, work, and education.
Responses from more than 6,000 adults now are included in this survey*, updated weekly and designed to track the impact of the pandemic on American lives, work, and education.
Two-thirds of Americans remain concerned they may lose their jobs. About half are worried COVID-19 will have a negative impact on their finances.
Those were among the findings in the second week of a nationally representative survey* of 1,000 people that is designed to track the impact of the pandemic on Americans’ lives, work, and education.
This nationally representative survey* of 1,000 American adults will be updated weekly.
In a collaborative study of more than 40,000 Americans who started attending college, but did not finish with a degree, this report from Strada Education Network, Lumina Foundation and Gallup Research provides insights into the reasons they stopped out of college, and what could help them return.
A “How To” Playbook for America’s Governors
What do Americans value in their education? We haven’t really known, because too often learners have been absent from the conversation.
Prior research has shown that the skills and knowledge veterans gain in the U.S. military are often under-recognized and undervalued by civilian employers.
The number of job openings in the United States now surpasses the number of people available and qualified to fill them. Through the Strada-Gallup Education Survey, we talk to Americans about their desire for more education and skills training and explore what motivates them to return to school.
Strada and Gallup share findings from their Strada-Gallup Employer Survey of a representative national sample of 1,139 adult employees involved in hiring decisions who participated in an online survey.
Choksi, Dyke and Markell join the governing board for the national social impact organization focused on strengthening education-to-employment pathways.
In the future, the most valued workers will be those who combine technical skills with uniquely human skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.
We’re getting mixed messages about the outcomes of liberal arts graduates. Depending on who you ask, these graduates are either headed for a lifetime as a barista or are capable of doing absolutely anything. The answer lies somewhere in the middle.
The 2017 Strada-Gallup College Student Survey showed that students who had these types of conversations are more likely than other students to feel confident about their future upon graduation.
An Early History of Strada Education Network 2014-2017
The 2017 College Student Survey, a new nationally representative survey of current students examining their perceptions about preparation for the workforce and the career-related support they receive from their institutions.
