Giselle Andrade: “Inclusive Leader in Education Hiring”

Title: Associate Director of Talent Acquisition
Organization: KIPP Public Schools Northern California
Age: 28

Inspired by Sacrifice, Driven by Purpose: Giselle Andrade’s Journey in Education and Leadership

Giselle Andrade is an education and talent leadership professional committed to advancing equitable access, representation, and excellence across public education systems. She currently serves as Associate Director of Talent at KIPP Public Schools Northern California, where she leads regional recruitment strategy, partners with school leaders on hiring decisions, and strengthens educator pipelines that reflect the communities KIPP serves. Her work focuses on building mission-aligned hiring systems, improving candidate experience, and ensuring schools are staffed with high-quality educators and leaders.

Before moving into regional talent leadership, Giselle held multiple roles across education that shaped her systems-level perspective, including direct work in schools and student-facing environments. These experiences reinforced her belief that strong schools begin with strong people and that investing in educator quality directly impacts student success. Her approach to talent work is grounded in relationships, equity, and a deep understanding of what schools need to thrive.

Giselle’s educational journey reflects both determination and purpose. As a first-generation college graduate, she navigated an educational pathway marked by persistence, balancing life experience with long-term academic goals. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (EdD) at Alverno College, where her doctoral research focuses on the retention of Latinx educators in low-income, Latinx-serving public charter schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her scholarship centers on leadership, workplace culture, equity, and representation in education.

At the core of Giselle’s work is the influence of her mother, Maria Guadalupe Reyes, whose resilience, sacrifices, and belief in education continue to shape how she leads and her deep commitment to creating pathways for others. That personal foundation has strengthened her passion for expanding opportunities for historically underrepresented voices in education and leadership, particularly in Latinx leadership and educator sustainability.

Known for her relationship-driven leadership style, Giselle brings a blend of strategic thinking, operational clarity, and people-centered decision-making to every setting she serves.