In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with Joshua Bilbrew. Mr. Bilbrew serves as the Director of GEAR UP at California State University, Fullerton. A federally-funded program through the US Department of Education, “GEAR UP” stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.
Consistent with Mr. Bilbrew’s educational equity work for more than 15 years, GEAR UP aims to close opportunity gaps and increase the educational and life success of students who are too often underrepresented in higher education. Over the years in positions in multiple organizations, Mr. Bilbrew’s work to empower students to beat the odds has spanned positions ranging from a tutor to executive director. These professional experiences, combined with his education and lived history, grant him a keen appreciation for the factors that diminish educational outcomes for too many promising students. His work is driven by the knowledge that education provides a pathway to mobility and equity unmatched by any other social institution.
