About Bettina

Biography

Bettina believes that every child is born with immense potential and promise. Yet we live in a world that does not allow for the potential and promise of every child to be fully realized due to systemic injustices. As a school board member, she believes in writing and advocating for policies, procedures and practices that will create the environment for all students to succeed.

Bettina studied Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Language Arts & Social Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, she received her teaching license and chose to work full-time for Student U, a college access program in Durham. She began as the Middle School Program Director, coordinating Student U’s Middle School Summer Academy, a year-round tutoring program as well as serving as an advocate for students & families. Bettina transitioned to the Chief Program Officer in 2017, overseeing all overseeing all student programs for 550 students & families ranging from 6th grade to college graduates. She supervised full-time staff members, served on the Leadership Team of the organization, developed community partnerships and crafted the strategic vision for all of Student U’s programs.

In 2020, Bettina transitioned to working with The Equity Collaborative, supporting public school districts across the country in working toward equity. Using her past experiences as a non-profit administrator and as a school board member, she supports others to reflect on inequitable practices, develop new goals and skills to interrupt bias and craft specific goals that will move towards equitable outcomes.

Bettina was raised in Wake County, NC by her parents, McKinley & Betty Umstead, and a host of family and friends. Her parents, first-generation college students themselves, taught her the value of education at a young age. Bettina remembers her parents advocating on her behalf for advanced classes, seeking extra-curricular activities and schools that would provide for the best educational and cultural opportunities. They instilled in her the quote, “to whom much is given, much is required,” and that drives Bettina’s commitment to community engagement. She has volunteered with various community organizations and serves as an Advisory Board member for the Public School Forum of North Carolina, a member of the Board of Directors for the Museum of Durham History and the Board of Directors for the People’s Alliance Fund.