Idera Adagun’s passion for higher education started at a young age. Born into a family of educators and raised in Los Angeles, CA as a Nigerian-American from a low-income family, Idera grew up hearing various perspectives on how succeeding in college would help her overcome the societal inequalities that came with her identities. These narratives persevered through her participation in various educational nonprofits while in high school and eventually led Idera to Barnard College of Columbia University. As a Barnard Opportunity Program student, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Africana Studies. 

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After returning home to volunteer with the very organizations she benefited from, and realizing the power of policy, Idera then went on to complete a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington (’19). While there, she focused her research on Social Policy, Education Policy, and also worked with Undergraduate Admissions and Undergraduate Academic Advising as an Application Reader and Lead Student Success Coach, respectively.

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Since receiving her MPA, Idera has gone on to work at several education based nonprofit organizations and schools as an Assistant Director, College Counselor, College Success Director, and Seasonal Application Reader. Through her advising support, she has seen her students gain admission to some of the top colleges and universities of the nation, including Stanford University, Brown University, MIT, Notre Dame University, NYU, USC, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. Select few have also become QuestBridge and Posse finalists. 

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Idera joined ESM in 2024 to continue helping students realize their potential and actualize their personal and professional goals. In her mentoring approach, she views each student as a unique individual, with different academic abilities, lived experiences, and extracurricular involvement. She knows that getting to and through college is no easy feat, so she focuses on building a trusting and honest relationship with students and families, ensuring that they are privy to eligibility requirements, campus resources, and how they can increase their probability of college acceptances.

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Even though most of Idera’s time is spent with her students, during her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying out new LA restaurants, perusing Netflix, and spending time with her family, friends, and French bulldog!

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