Jessica Thompson

Experiencing, observing, and listening to students’ struggles with oppressive educational institutions has driven Jessica to commit her professional, academic, and personal life to being an agent of change within the field of higher education. As Senior Experience Designer, Jessica supports the Today’s Student Experience Lab, a Lumina Foundation-funded initiative to infuse the lived experiences of today’s students into the work of designing relevant and informed futures of education beyond high school.

Drawing from her multidisciplinary background in Higher Education, Social Work, and Youth Studies, Jessica unifies theories and concepts from these disciplines to examine, explore, and engage with issues impacting the success of underserved learners. Her multidisciplinary approach to student development and engagement provides her a distinctive vantage point that positions her to be an active learner, ally, accomplice, advocate, and cultural navigator. Jessica strives to reflect her commitment to being a catalyst for change within higher education and ending educational inequity by bringing the voices of underserved student populations to the forefront so they are not forgotten.

In addition to her role at Kinetic Seeds, Jessica is pursuing her doctorate in Higher Education at the University of Minnesota.