Carissa Kolakauskas
Director of Student Support, Crescent City Schools
Joined the Team in 2014
Carissa Kolakauskas is the Director of Student Support for Crescent City Schools. Prior to her network-level position, Carissa served as the Director of the Aurora Program.
Carissa earned her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, with a major in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Urban Sociology. It was during her years at Tulane that Carissa grew connected to the city of New Orleans and formed a strong commitment to community service. Carissa chose to develop her passion for social justice and educational equality by completing her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Tulane University, with a concentration on child and adolescent development. She has a number of years of experience as a clinician with the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court and Jefferson Parish Public School System. She was a founding staff member for New Orleans College Prep, where she built the mental health, social-emotional learning, and family support programs while establishing strong connections with community organizations and stakeholders. As a member of the Crescent City Schools leadership team and adjunct faculty at Tulane University, Carissa has a passion for supporting professionals to more effectively change the lives of youth through the educational and social systems of New Orleans.