Lauren first joined Rocketship as an Assistant Principal at Rocketship Fuerza. At Fuerza, Lauren saw how the power of parent engagement helped that school become the highest performing school in the district it serves. It is that parent and community focus that inspired her to move to Antioch to serve as an Assistant Principal at Delta Prep before taking over as Principal. Ms. Hilliard moved back home to DC from Rocketship Delta Prep after serving in California as principal for the past three years. Ms. Hilliard is from the DC area, with her family roots going back generations in Anacostia.

Before joining Rocketship, Lauren served as Dean of Students for a charter school in DC for four years where she focused on building a strong, positive school culture. Lauren began her career as a DC Teaching Fellow, serving as a member of the Early Childhood/Elementary cohort. Lauren received her undergraduate degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management & Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, and earned a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Educational Leadership from American University.