Jana Wilcox Lavin
Opportunity 180
Las Vegas, NV USA
"Every kid deserves to go to school and feel like it's going to change their life."
Career Roadmap
Jana's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Education, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Ask yourself who you want to be and then think about how you can put that into action. Hold yourself accountable to that and give yourself feedback. It's also important to gain confidence and advocate for yourself. What do people tell you you're good at? What do you feel really confident about? Then think about how you can deploy that in a way that will create the opportunity and the environment that you want to bring to life.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Undergraduate
Tulane University
Graduate Degree
Graduate
Emerson College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I started working from a young age in my family’s restaurant business, where I learned the value of hard work.
2.
At age 12, I took on new responsibilities when my mom fell ill, which taught me self-advocacy and independence.
3.
My passion for education began in middle school, where I advocated for myself to be placed in honors math, sparking my belief in the power of self-advocacy.
4.
In high school, I realized my current education wasn’t enough for me, so I researched and advocated to attend a boarding school, changing the trajectory of my life.
5.
I initially pursued a career in news media but shifted to education after being inspired by friends who participated in Teach for America—I then began volunteering in their schools.
6.
I devoted myself to creating impact, working for organizations like Scholar Academies and Memphis Scholars, and serving as Superintendent-in-Residence of the Nevada State Achievement School District.
7.
Now, as CEO of Opportunity 180, I am committed to building an ecosystem that ensures every student in Nevada has access to a quality education.
