Demontea Thompson is a Ph.D. student at UCLA in the School of Education and Information Systems, Urban Schooling Division. His research explores how educational institutions can facilitate success for marginalized students, particularly those who have had interactions with the child welfare and justice system. He is a Compton-native and the Co-founder and Executive Director of Twinspire – a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that works for and with youth in need of life skill services. A slam poet and author of the inspirational autobiography, Raised From Scratch, Demontea received his master’s degree in education from the University of Southern California (USC) and his undergraduate degree in business management from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). He is a CSUN Alumni Association board member and child welfare advocate.
