Molly Lasagna

Senior Strategy Officer, Incarcerated Learner Initiatives

Ascendium Education Philanthropy

Stay curious and the answers will come.

About Molly

I always knew I wanted to become a teacher and work in education.
Watching my students work hard with minimal resources pushed me to study education policy and fight for change beyond the classroom.
I moved to Washington, D.C., determined to fix the education system, but years in policy work left me questioning whether real change was happening.
After surviving a violent assault, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee, searching for healing and a different direction for my life.
While trying to heal, I fell into unhealthy coping mechanisms and ended up spending a weekend in jail for drunk driving—it opened my eyes and completely changed my trajectory.
Determined to help make a difference in the prison system, I became a prison chaplain.
From there, I combined my background in education and prison work experience to make an impact as executive director of an education-in-prison organization.
Today, I support college-in-prison programs across the country so more people can access education, dignity, and new possibilities for their future.