Dr. La’Tonya Rease Miles

Partner and Director of Scale & Support, Career Launch

Josh Farris possesses one of those Great Minds that comes along rarely in a lifetime. From the moment that I met him when he was undergraduate student leader at the University of Virginia, I knew that he was immensely talented. He’s a connector and community builder. He understands systems and is intent on dismantling them. He’s also generous with his time and is one of the most sincere people that I know. Josh is nowhere near his ceiling of greatness, and I look forward to see what the future holds. We ain’t ready.

Jack Boyd

Co-Founder, Duke First

Josh’s passion for highlighting and addressing inequities in education is only exceeded by his ability to collect, assess and even retain mounds of data. His talent for extracting key nuggets from a voluminous body of work is impressive and it demonstrates how deeply personal this is for him. He understands the urgent need for real change and uses his impatience with entrenched systems to drive his research, which he then uses to inform and motivate those around him. Whether you are looking for a speaker, a consultant or both, you will find Josh to be professional, prepared and inspiring.

Anh LyJordan

Co-Founder, Coalition of First-Generation & Low-Income Alumni Network (COFLAN)

Josh is a the best combination of a thinker and a doer. It’s easy to find people who are creative and it’s easy to find people who are hard workers, but finding an open-minded, creative thinker who puts the work into turning his ideas into action is rare. I have had the pleasure of working with Josh as we built a brand new organization together and I have really enjoyed the perspective, enthusiasm and diligence that he brings to the group.

Tanzim Milkey

Independent Product Marketing Manager

Josh was a great help and a pleasure to work with. Not only is he an expert concerning issues related to community outreach and education, but he also brings quick wit and problem-solving abilities that allow him to conduct in-depth research and speak knowledgeably on a variety of topics. Josh’s years of experience and well-organized resources shine during any interaction. He is also excellent with availability and follow-ups to ensure that your problem gets solved and the project is a success. I would highly recommend working with Josh.

Dr. Forest Jones

Director of Administrative Services, Salem City School District

Our teachers left Josh’s presentation feeling energized with a vision for being that person a child can count, which is what we want for each child in our school division. Someone that they can go to in times of need.

Thank you Josh!

Robert Haimes

President, Sui Generis LSS

Josh has accumulated an impressive amount of knowledge and insight into the challenges facing diverse students at various stages of their education. What impresses me most about Josh, however, is his commitment to finding solutions–whether that’s researching best practices or identifying organizations and programs tackling the issues Josh cares deeply about.

I’m convinced Josh has achieved so much so quickly because he has been able to combine an impressive intellect with a steely determination to make meaningful change.

Josh has been a valuable resource to my organization in identifying resources and potential partnerships, and I’m confident he can be an asset to any organization working on DEI issues.

Terry Vaughan 3rd

Vice President of Research | Director of the Pell Institute, Council for Opportunity in Education

Josh is a tremendous education researcher on issues facing low-income and first-generation college students. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him during his time with the Pell Institute. His work ethic and care during research projects is outstanding!

Chris Sinclair

Executive Director, FLIP National

There are very few people working in the FGLI student support and advocacy space that are more knowledgeable than Josh. He is tireless in his advocacy for FGLI students, and everything he’s learned in the time he’s been working on these issues stem from his own experiences as an FGLI student. Josh in a prime example of why students, not administrators, should be centered in the conversation about how to support FGLI students at colleges & universities across the country.

Laura Hackett

Assistant State Coordinator, Project HOPE-VA (VA DOE & William & Mary)

Josh Farris is a compelling speaker whose authentic sharing of his story illuminates gaps in the school success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Josh’s journey brings awareness to students experiencing homelessness and invites the audience to action to transform education and make it accessible to those who follow in his shoes.

Chris Lam

Co-founder of Alliance for the Low-Income & First-Generation Narrative (AL1GN)

In a space already characterized by the hustle that normally comes with first-gen/low-income (FGLI) organizing, Josh stands out above the rest. As a college student, he raised almost $70,000 on the way to organizing AL1GN’s biggest conference yet, at the University of Virginia in 2019. Since graduating, he has continued to be a trusted friend of AL1GN, even as he became “that guy who knows everybody” in the FGLI organizing space. I cherish his advice and ideas, and I am proud of the leader and organizer that he has become.

Dolores Adriaanse

Network College & Career Readiness Coordinator, School District of Philadelphia

Josh Farris fit right in with the Roxborough High School bunch. Working in such a large school district such as Philadelphia can be tricky to navigate: learning the intricacies of a large urban school district, understanding school culture and student engagement & understanding school operations to name a few. Josh not only transitioned smoothly into the fabric of the counselor/ stakeholder team, but he brought his expertise in data collection and personal experience of being a first generation college bound student to the Roxborough community. Together, we were able to thrive during the onset of the pandemic with collaborative, innovative ways to deliver workshops to students, as well as participate in leadership meetings to discuss whole school strategic planning, school progress and student outcomes.

Dr. Genevieve Brackins

Education & Outreach Specialist, Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center, University of Virginia

I first met Mr. Josh Farris when he was serving as a Big Brother in the MLP mentoring program. Mr. Farris was devoted to mentoring a middle school student weekly throughout the school year and he was profoundly dedicated to serving his mentee with excellence. Mr. Farris graduated and moved away yet I am glad to say that I now count Mr. Farris as a wonderful friend.

Alexis Masino

First-Generation College Graduate, University of Pennsylvania

Josh Farris is an incredible professional, academic, and advocate for first-generation students. As a first-generation, low-income college graduate, Josh has been an irreplaceable mentor in my life. When I came to a crossroads in my professional journey, Josh provided the support and advice to help me take crucial next steps in my career path. His abundance of knowledge and experience with resources, especially for first-generation students, is incomparable to those of any other persons or institutions I have come across. Josh is caring, thorough, and diligent. No one is more passionate about first-generation students and increasing accessibility and equality than Josh. He doesn’t just see students as a monolith to be addressed, but as individuals to be treated with kindness, patience, and commitment to help each student achieve their dreams. Without Josh’s help, I would not be where I am in my life and career today. Beyond direct student work and outreach, Josh’s expansive research, writing, and work speaks for itself. He applies his brilliance and firsthand experience to everything he does, making his studies impressive beyond his years. Even his newsletters and collected resources show so much diligence and effort, all with the intention of helping as many students and people as possible. Josh has committed his life and career to studying and documenting the experience of first-generation students, but he takes this to the next level by working with students directly and giving person-to-person specialization to get to know every single student as an individual. His published research speaks volumes, but knowing Josh as a person shows that his brilliance is only amplified exponentially by his interpersonal ability and genuine investment in the personal future of each and every student who is overcoming barriers to build a successful life through and beyond education. He is hands down the best person to consult on all matters regarding education and student success, at the individual, structural, and institutional levels.