ABOUT
MEET COLE
Cole comes from a long line of educators. His grandmother was a public school teacher, his mother is a public school teacher, and he taught high school and college students himself. However, Cole lived an experience that many Texas students share – where, because of economic uncertainty, family obligations, or other barriers, his success in school was far from promised.
Cole enrolled at Austin Community College as a pell-grant recipient, a dyslexic learner, and a high schooler at risk of truancy. Neither a perfect K-12 education, let alone access to a four year college, was promised when Cole’s mother battled a rare disease and his father had lost the family’s small business during the 2008 recession while Cole was in high school. Cole later found a home at Austin Community College.
While Austin Community College was not a cure-all for the trappings of his family’s economic uncertainty, nor the stigma of being a non-traditional learner, it was a community that allowed Cole to thrive. It was on the Rio Grande ACC Campus in downtown Austin that Cole was able to find his footing. Cole would go on to transfer to the University of Texas where he earned his bachelor's degree. He would later go on to earn a Masters in Education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, where he’d publish renowned academic research focused on workforce access for post-secondary students.
During and beyond his tenure in education, Cole has dedicated his life to making postsecondary education more accessible, more affordable, and more attainable. He has worked as a college-access counselor with at-risk youth at Boys Hope Girls Hope and he’s fought for college affordability, student-parent protections, and student access to healthcare as a Legislative Director at the Texas State Legislature and as a Policy Analyst with Young Invincibles. He’s worked as an employee at the University of Texas’ Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life where he was tasked with leading events and programming for civic engagement and voter access on college campuses across the state.. Cole has fought for foster youth as a legislative staff member in Rep. Jarvis Johnson’s office. And, his research has been featured in the New York Times *(set to be published Nov. 29th), offering some of the most cutting edge data on workforce accessibility and community college growth.
Cole currently works as Legislative Director for Texas State Representative Vikki Goodwin, focusing on education policy amid sessions focused on passing vouchers. When not in the office or meeting with community members, Cole works tirelessly for postsecondary access and civic life in Austin. He’s served on the boards of Brass Out Loud, a music education nonprofit, as well as on the advisory boards of the Austin Monitor and Young Invincibles. He regularly volunteers with other local organizations, like Austin Free-Net, where he helped fundraise and increase civic involvement in support of efforts like Austin Free-Net's computer drive for ACC students.
Cole has spent a career working in higher education and focused on student success – in all definitions of the word. He remains connected to the community as a Leadership Austin graduate and Economic Development Committee Co-Chair with the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce.
