Melissa Connelly

Waste of time that actively holds people back This organization routinely and blithely upholds the very structures and institutions of oppression it claims to want to dismantle. People of color are hired to fill diversity quotas, saddled with the bulk of the nominal work of the organization (and the emotional labor of educating supposed "allies") but pushed out if and when they push for change in the name of actual equity work. Anyone who questions the status quo or the leadership is punished, whether that be through passive-aggressive punishment through one's manager, having opportunities for promotion/compensation withheld, or active and aggressive harassment by high-level managers. (Yes, this is a thing, and yes, it has been reported and gone unaddressed by HA or these problematic managers' peers.) If you are lucky enough to have a manager who will have your back in these situations, THEY will get the heat, too. Furthermore, the organization has (nominally) embraced an approach to education that, if done with care, could be a game-changer in higher education in the U.S. However, OneGoal's leadership are so obsessed with growth for growth's sake and unable to shake off the "parachute in to save communities of color where there is donor money" and white savior approach they have historically taken that they are quite literally incapable of doing this work thoughtfully and in true partnership with the communities they claim to serve. This is NOT true of everyone on staff, but those with decision-making power do embody this problematic approach. It's not a coincidence that these are the people promoted and hired into leadership roles. From a professional growth standpoint, the only way you will be able to grow your career at this organization is by managing people and teams. There is little respect for specific expertise, and this shows in both the lack of growth opportunities and the passive-aggressive way individuals who *do* possess expertise are treated: the culture of feedback between regions and the national team is unhealthy. It promotes staff expressing their opinions and priorities as feedback but gives those with expertise or specialized roles little agency to express their expertise as such in a conversation. There is so much more I could say about the awful things this organization has done and continues to do to its staff, especially people of color who think independently. However, I'd like to turn to how it treats the students it claims to serve: OneGoal routinely operates like a typical white-dominant organization that trots out students and teachers of color as props to inspire donors. The approach that the organization is attempting to take with its programming stands in stark contrast to this. OneGoal's leadership is very clearly by its actions unwilling to negotiate these tensions in any way that might result in offending donors, and this is a problem at the root of the organization's operations with and on behalf of students. If you value your personal mental and emotional well-being, are a critical thinker or in any way willing to question the status quo of institutions, or want to grow professionally, stay away.