Molly Nestor
Molly Nestor worked as an educator with students in pre-K through 4th grades in New York City and Southeast Michigan since 2011. Molly became an educator to help dismantle and reimagine oppressive structures through joyful school communities. Her professional work in schools has centered on the interactions of power and identity in inclusive school spaces. In addition to teaching, Molly also served on the Inclusive Practices Working Group at Community Roots. As a member of this group, Molly helped launch and develop practices related to Universal Design for Learning school-wide, with a particular focus on how UDL could support inclusion for students with behavioral challenges. Molly has extended her work on UDL and inclusion over the past three years as an Educational Coach with Roots ConnectED.
After witnessing the lasting emotional impacts of bias and trauma on children, Molly was moved to explore a path in psychology and made the transition from classroom teacher to the world of therapy in 2020. She currently attends graduate school and works as a therapist in Los Angeles, California. Her professional interests include the impacts of early trauma, including institutional violence, on identity formation. She works primarily with young adults experiencing distress or relational difficulties stemming from developmental trauma. Molly's work with schools through Roots ConnectED has shaped her practice as an educator and activist, pushing her to think more creatively about student's experiences of affirmation and belonging in school spaces and their relationship to educational equity.