Julia
Lawton

Julia Lawton brings over a decade of experience at Achieving the Dream (ATD), where she has held a range of programmatic roles. In her current position, she leads cross-organizational efforts to align and continuously improve ATD’s portfolio of services that help colleges advance institutional change, student success, and equity. She develops and scales effective processes, infrastructure, and practices that drive high-impact learning events, thought leadership, and customized coaching and consulting.

Julia also directs multiple grant-funded projects, with a particular focus on adult learners, enrollment management, and holistic student supports. Previously, she led the implementation of the Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS) initiative, managed ATD’s strategic assistance services to support holistic student support strategies, and oversaw the planning of key events, including the Holistic Student Support Institute and the Kickoff Institute. She also managed onboarding and first-year experiences for new ATD colleges and coordinated the Leah Meyer Austin Award. Before joining ATD, Julia served as an account executive at a global market research consultancy, where she managed a diverse portfolio of international and domestic clients.

How has education changed your life/your family? 

Ever since I was young, I have loved learning. While my parents worked hard to encourage this and create opportunities for me they never had growing up, it became clear to me that luck played a big role in our circumstances. Fairly early in his career climbing poles to fix phone lines, my dad’s manager recognized his potential and leveraged company resources to enable my dad to complete his schooling and seek higher education. I am driven to work towards a society in which everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential as the rule, not the exception.