Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Anderson Chandler.
Karina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am an Education Entrepreneur who lives to spark the love of learning in children. My passion for education began early on for two reasons; I’m the daughter of a lifelong Educator, Betty Anderson who trail blazed education initiatives for Gary Community Schools and while I was in school I had great teachers and mentors who took the time to provide relevant enrichment programs for my friends and I. As an undergraduate, I attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN (C/O ’02), a Pre-Law major and Business Administration minor, I took many classes that sparked my interest in Education Reform and the inequalities that existed in public education. I had an amazing professor, Teri Jett; who invested time in me and taught me how to advocate for others and promote positive change where ever I am. I joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. because of the educational and economic impacts they made on the community.
While at Butler University, I founded The Shadow program, a collaborative venture with Butler and Indianapolis Public Schools to expose middle school students to the college experience and student mentors, this was the start of my experiences developing programs to promote academic and social-emotional improvements for youth. In 2004, I founded an academic enrichment program called Diamond Diva’s in Indianapolis, IN. Our mission was to promote academic achievement, servant leadership, and sisterhood through step and dance. We impacted over 1,200 students at 15 schools in Indianapolis, IN who participated in our enrichment programs. It was then that I realized I had the ability to truly make a difference in education for all, especially low-income, and minority students who often get shorted when it comes to education. I have been/am a licensed teacher in Indiana, North Carolina, and Texas for over 15 years with a life mission to impact education and make a difference for youth who lack access and exposure to be 21st-century leaders.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? No things haven’t always been a smooth road, but I have kept God first and His purpose for my life at the forefront to help me overcome many life obstacles. In 2006, I had personal hardships and became a victim of human trafficking- labor and domestic abuse. It was during a time when Myspace was the only social media used, I began dating a guy long distance, we talked for several months, but when I went to visit him, my ID, then cell phone went missing. From there, the trauma and abuse began and lasted for approximately five months before I was able to return home to family and friends. It took a lot of time, work, and prayer to overcome the impacts of this trauma, but I can honestly say one of the biggest factors in healing and moving forward was the fact that I have loving, and supportive family and friends. As I dug into the healing process, it was the values of self- care, social-emotional wellness and things I had learned from my childhood, mentors and enrichment programs that had instilled a foundation in me to rebuild myself, set goals, and achieve them through faith and determination.
What else should our readers know?
Dream to Vision Education, Inc. is an educational consulting firm that works with school districts and youth organizations to provide custom academic enrichment programs, research-based professional development, and strategic advocacy services. One of our most notable programs is Step-ticians: a Math & Movement program that teaches students math skills through the art of stepping and dance. Our programs also include Social Emotional Wellness for youth and Youth leadership components to empower all student participants to be change agents for their community and academically successful. We specialize in training Educators and professionals on how to prioritize self- care, Social Emotional Learning and Wellness, and Culturally Responsive Engagement. Our CEO, Karina Anderson has been an advocate for public education, social-emotional learning, comprehensive accountability in schools, human trafficking awareness and serves on the Fort Bend ISD Board Leadership Academy ‘2019. Dream to Vision Education, Inc. and founder, Karina Anderson are most proud of the youth who have successfully completed the program and have gone on through life to achieve their goals and make a difference in the lives of others. I have supported thousands of youth who are now Directors of Nursing, Actresses, Teachers, and leaders of youth groups across the U.S.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was loving, outgoing, and intelligent. I was good at school and very active in extracurricular, especially dance, modeling, and karate. I also enjoyed spending time with my family and close friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreamtovisioneducation.com
- Phone: 832-429-7001
- Email: dream2visioneducation@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamtovision
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dream-to-Vision-Education
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dream2visioned1
Image Credit:
CristinaJanee Photography
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