LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kimberly Goodman was nominated by Jacqueline Tomlinson, her friend.

Ms. Goodman grew up in Los Angeles. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in French and received her teaching credential from the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Ms. Goodman has taught fourth- and fifth-grade students French immersion for the past five years. When she's not in the classroom, Ms. Goodman works with Stanford's Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, researching how best to support teachers locally. In her spare time, she enjoys road trips, baking, adventure novels, and her golden retriever, Bella. 

During the pandemic, Ms. Goodman jumped ahead, familiarizing herself with all of the necessary technical aspects. She helped many families find a way online and get their kids to the right classes. Despite having just given birth to her first child, Ms. Goodman forwent her maternity leave and returned to the classroom upon reopening to support her students in an easy and safe transition back to class to help them to resettle. She has been widely recognized by her principal, students' parents, and fellow teachers for creating a safe learning environment so all her students could feel comfortable coming back to class. 

Ms. Goodman comes from a multi-generational family of teachers, with her mom teaching at LAUSD and her grandmother teaching, as well. Her grandfather was a well-loved judge and attorney who worked tirelessly pro bono, helping local families with their housing and small business needs. Ms. Goodman is a rising star in education in an area with one of the country's highest needs for new teachers. When she can return to it, Ms. Goodman has already been accepted to work on her Ph.D. at Stamford University.