Aryana is an associate on the Outstanding Educators team, where she conducts research and policy analysis on educator diversity, preparation and development and facilitates clients to make decisions around education investments and strategies.
A former middle school math teacher, Aryana draws on her classroom teaching experience in her everyday work. She is an advocate for educational equity and strives to improve opportunities for BIPOC and marginalized youth, always keeping students at the forefront of her work. Prior to joining Ed First, she also spent time at the Rhode Island Department of Education, where she reviewed district applications for Career & Technical Education funding.
At Education First, Aryana has worked on a variety of projects ranging from facilitating school system and higher education partnerships to implement residency models to supporting foundations to determine their education investments.
Aryana earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Education from Rhode Island College. Outside the office, Aryana enjoys writing and performing original music and enjoying Venezuelan and Persian cuisine reminiscent of her childhood.
