Daniel Umana, EdD ’28, Builds Bridges Through Digital Equity
Now, as a doctoral student in the Education Policy and Leadership program at American University’s Baker School of Education, his work as manager at the Digital Learning Center on Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus addresses the root causes of those recurring challenges.
Umana’s commitment to education equity took root during his time with Teach For America, an experience that fundamentally shaped his understanding of impact and systemic change. His teaching there proved transformative, though not in the ways he initially expected. “My first year was a tough journey, and I learned quickly that you can’t do this work alone,” he recalls. “Leaning on my TFA cohort and my school team taught me the importance of having people who understand the work and can support you through the hardest days.”
The most profound lesson that has perhaps stayed with came after leaving the classroom. “Years later, some of my former students tell me they remember how they felt in my class and how much fun they had during a time that felt chaotic for me,” Umana shares. “Hearing that changed my understanding of impact. Even on the hardest days, students are watching how you show up. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Umana found himself experimenting with digital tools to maintain student engagement—an experience that would ultimately redirect his career trajectory. “I was experimenting with Google Classroom, Quizizz, YouTube, and anything I could find to keep students connected,” he explains. “It was messy, but it sparked something in me—I realized how powerful the right tools can be when used thoughtfully.” This revelation became one of the catalysts for his focus on digital literacy and, eventually, AI literacy.
Today, Umana leads efforts to transform Montgomery College’s Digital Learning Center from a traditional computer lab into something far more dynamic. He describes his current role as creating “a hub for digital and AI support, college readiness, and student-facing innovation.” His work encompasses designing workshops, training staff, supporting faculty partnerships, and building systems specifically aimed at helping first-generation and multilingual learners succeed.
A Realization at Work
The decision to pursue a Doctorate in Education (he expects to graduate in 2028) emerged from a growing frustration with surface-level solutions. “Over time, I realized I was solving the same problems in different buildings,” Umana explains. “I kept seeing how structural inequities, lack of access, inconsistent support systems, digital divides, limited what students could do, even when teachers were doing everything they could. I wanted to work at a level where I could address those systemic issues directly.”
His doctoral work was influenced by EdD program director Dr. William N. Thomas IV, whose guidance has pushed Umana to think critically about leadership and equity. Thomas “pushes us to connect our lived experiences with our leadership goals and challenges us to interrogate assumptions about systems, power, and equity,” Umana said. “His reminders to contextualize, not generalize have pushed me to reflect more deeply on problems I’m seeing, and how I should approach.”
A Future of Equitable Digital Literacy
Umana’s vision for the future centers on expanding access to digital and AI literacy for students traditionally excluded from these conversations. “My long-term goal is to expand access to high-quality digital and AI literacy for students who often get left out of these conversations,” he says. “If we get digital equity right, especially at community colleges, we can change students’ career trajectories, earning power, and confidence in ways that ripple across generations.”
For those considering careers in education or advanced study, Umana offers hard-won wisdom. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that teaching is relational work before anything else,” he reflects. “Students learn best when they feel seen and understood, and no amount of content knowledge replaces that.” He emphasizes the importance of having a clear purpose, noting that “whether you’re stepping into your first classroom or starting an EdD, your purpose is what carries you through the hardest days.”
Ultimately, Umana’s work is driven by a belief in education’s transformative power and the responsibility to design equitable systems. His journey from the classroom to policy leadership reflects a deepening understanding that sustainable change requires addressing not just individual classrooms but the structures that shape them. As he continues his doctoral work, he remains focused on ensuring that students shouldn’t “have to rely on luck or privilege to gain foundational digital skills or understand how AI is shaping the workforce.”