Lu Johns-De La Garza is a passionate advocate for education and civic engagement. As a proud Texan, Latina, and rising junior at Vanderbilt University, she is pursuing a double major in Human & Organizational Development with a focus on education policy, and Political Science with a concentration in American Government & Politics.Lu's dedication to public service is evident through her diverse experiences, including interning at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, serving as Communications Director for a Nashville mayoral campaign, and contributing to local education initiatives in Texas. Her commitment to empowering young leaders shines through her roles as a Junior Counselor at the American Legion Auxiliary Texas Blue Bonnet Girls State and her involvement in Vanderbilt Women in Government.With a strong belief in the transformative power of education, Lu focuses her research and policy initiatives on early childhood and K-12 education. She views education as a cornerstone for addressing societal challenges and changing lives.Lu’s passion for civic engagement and access to equitable education for all students, positions her as a rising voice in the realm of public policy and education reform.Feel free to connect with Lu – She is eager to collaborate with others who are passionate about public service, innovative policy, and community empowerment.I believe we do our best work when operating in our strengths. My top 5 strengths are:* RELATOR - People with dominant relationship-building themes like Relator build strong relationships that hold a team together and make it greater than the sum of its parts.* LEARNER - People exceptionally talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve.* SIGNIFICANCE - People exceptionally talented in the Significance theme want to make a big impact. They are independent and prioritize projects based on how much influence they will have on their organization or people around them.* ACHIEVER - Someone with the Strength of Achiever is motivated, driven, and determined to achieve something with her time. You may recognize an Achiever because he seems to be in constant motion, activity, or with different types of projects.* CONNECTEDNESS - People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.