Nazirah Purnell

Nazirah Purnell is an experienced education professional currently serving as an Analyst and Fellow at Watershed Advisors since June 2023. Nazirah is a member of Leadership for Educational Equity, participating in initiatives such as the People of Color Emerging Policy and Advocacy Leaders Series and the 9-month Public Policy LEE Fellowship. From August 2021 to June 2023, Nazirah worked as an English Teacher at Prince George's County Public Schools, where reading comprehension and writing skills of approximately 110 students were improved to 85% mastery. Additionally, Nazirah held roles as a Corps Member with AmeriCorps and Teach For America during the same period. Prior internships included positions at ExcelinEd, the U.S. Department of Education, and AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, where Nazirah contributed to policy analysis, research projects, and membership outreach. Nazirah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, English, and Pre-Law from Lincoln University and completed studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Education.