Mona Miao

Mona Miao is an analyst supporting the K-12 Systems team at Watershed Advisors.

Born and raised in Queens, New York City, in a low-income, immigrant family, Mona experienced firsthand how transformative strong school systems, great teachers, and meaningful learning experiences can be for kids like her. With deep gratitude for her own educational journey and a burning conviction that every young person has the right to a high-quality education, Mona has dedicated her career to advancing educational equity and empowering young people with the resources, conditions, and opportunities to succeed.

Mona’s career spans diverse roles in education, program management, and community engagement. Prior to joining Watershed, Mona managed the AmeriCorps Massachusetts Promise Fellowship at Northeastern University, where she led recruitment, data, and evaluation, and supported fellows and community partners in leading programs serving hundreds of youth across Massachusetts. In this role, she strengthened organizational systems, refined the program’s assessment and accountability approach, and leveraged data to drive measurable improvements in program outcomes. Previously, Mona taught middle school science at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge, Mass., and directed summer programs for low-income and immigrant youth through the Phillips Brooks House Association.

A licensed educator, Mona holds a B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology from Harvard College and an M.Ed. in Teacher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She currently lives in Cambridge, Mass., where she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her two dogs. You can often find her sharing a good meal, singing loudly in her car, staying up way too late reading, pursuing a video or board game victory, or trying not to tumble off the mountain while learning to snowboard.