Victoria Hurtado (she/her/ella)

Victoria is a doctoral candidate (Ed.D.) in the Educational Leadership Program. As a Psychiatric Social Worker for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), her work primarily focuses on supporting mental health needs of students through a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports that includes strategies to proactively improve the social-emotional competencies, coping skills, symptoms, and functioning of students. Mental health is not traditionally a focus in education, but has become increasingly understood as a critical aspect of a student’s overall well-being. As a psychiatric social worker in a TK-12 setting, Victoria sees her students’ daily hardships. The majority have had more adverse life experiences before age 18 than many will encounter in a lifetime. Nevertheless, it is the resilience of her students that inspires and renews her passion for serving others. Her research aspirations are to advance studies at the intersection of education and mental health, specifically through the role of social workers in a PK-12 setting. In particular, she seeks to address barriers to building the capacity of school stakeholders in practices that help transform schools into spaces where students feel safe, supported, and nurtured through their educational journey.