For Donovan W. Forrest, MPA, the true strength of an educator lies in making individuals feel seen and then illuminating what's possible for them.That belief has sustained his career. As Elective Faculty at Georgetown University's Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, he designed and teaches a College Readiness curriculum that has guided hundreds of students from over 30 DC Public Schools in navigating the college application process and succeeding in postsecondary education. Many are first-generation college hopefuls who had never seen themselves in a university setting. For Forrest, the classroom was never just a place to transfer knowledge. It was a place to open doors.That mentorship-first philosophy extends beyond Georgetown. As founder of a Big Brothers Big Sisters-powered mentoring non-profit, he built an academic tutoring and mentorship non-profit that served over 200 young people in Philadelphia and created spaces where mentorship wasn't a program , it was a culture. His work with youth in Philadelphia taught him that young people don't lack potential; they lack access to someone who believes in it with them.His scholarship deepens this work. As a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Human Resource Development at Drexel University (Ed.D. expected May 2027), Forrest developed two original theoretical frameworks, Forced Maroonism and Concrete Theology, that examine how marginalized communities survive and navigate institutions. His research is not separate from his mentorship; it is an extension of it.A published author, Forrest has been featured as an educator on CBS News. He holds an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S.E. from Temple University, where he was selected as Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2020.
