Narissa Jones

Raised in New Jersey, Narissa was surrounded by family, educators and mentors who emphasized the importance of education from a young age. As a first-generation college graduate, she knows firsthand how education can open doors and create opportunities. Those experiences inspired her commitment to expanding access to education and creating more equitable opportunities for students from underserved and underrepresented communities.

Throughout her career, Narissa has been committed to expanding educational pathways for students. Narissa earned her B.S in Psychology from York College of Pennsylvania and her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Monmouth University. She started her post-grad work at embrella, a foster care non-profit, where she worked 1:1 with students, teachers, colleges, community changemakers, and state agencies to help young people prepare for college, careers, independent adulthood and beyond. Eventually leading the programs she was essential in building from the start. More recently, her work for the Moynihan Scholarship Fund at NYCPA centered on helping aspiring STEM students from historically underserved communities access scholarships and build connections that supported their educational and professional journeys. These experiences strengthened her belief that equitable access to education can transform lives and communities.

Narissa joined E4E because she believes lasting, systems-level change begins by listening to educators and equipping them to shape the policies that affect their classrooms and students. She is passionate about removing barriers to opportunity and believes that empowering educators is essential to creating more equitable outcomes for every student.