Mabel Lajes-Guiteras ’99 has over 25 years of education experience with an unwavering focus on working with traditionally underserved communities. As a first-generation college student of color, she is committed to ensuring all students have access to excellent education, believing that access to education and other opportunities remains a critical issue in the country. Currently, she is Vice President of the Seed team at the Charter School Growth Fund, where she identifies and supports school leaders in the early stages of creating, expanding, or replicating high-performing schools. She also leads an investment work stream that has resulted in over $50 million in grants to schools over the last four years.
Previously, Mabel was the Senior Leader at TenSquare, partnering with school leaders and boards nationwide to improve performance in academics, leadership, and school culture. She was also the founding principal of Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School, which, under her leadership, earned an A rating on the NYC report card annually, and students outperformed city, district, and state averages on state exams. With over 10 years of experience teaching Head Start through college students in a variety of settings, including several founding teams, her students consistently ranked in the top 5 statewide on performance metrics.
Mabel holds a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude with distinction, in Psychology and Theater & Dance from Amherst College, a Master of Arts in Educational Theater and English Education from New York University, a Principal Administrative Certification in school leadership from Boston University, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Financial Management from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is also a Pahara Institute fellow.
Was there an “aha” or “eureka” moment at Amherst after which you knew the career to pursue?
If it were only so simple! When I graduated in the ’90s, everyone was getting consulting jobs and receiving signing bonuses. I was so perplexed. What did a 21-year-old have to consult about? I sat down and began to think about the activities that brought me the most joy while at Amherst. Every single time, it came down to leading, teaching, and working with young people. I then began to investigate education as an option. Ironically, I became an educational consultant after 15 years in education to support schools across the country.