Sierra Smith is the Learning Solutions Designer for Jobs for America’s Graduates, a national nonprofit that works with state affiliates to deliver employability and life skills to students who have faced significant challenges to success. As the Learning Solutions Designer, Sierra has designed and built JAG’s first ever Learning Management System called JAG Genius. Using this platform, Sierra expresses her passion for providing engaging and accessible training and education to the JAG network through online and in-person learner-centric training modules.
Prior to her time with JAG, Sierra worked as an instructional design independent contractor and created a wide variety of professional development materials for various companies including DuPont Pioneer. She also spent some time as a Curriculum Designer for Hy-Vee, a top 25 supermarket chain and one of the top 50 private companies in the United States, where she wrote and developed materials for internal and external partners- enter JAG. While working on building content for a partnership with the Iowa JAG (iJAG) affiliate, Sierra fell in love the program and its purpose. She took on her most recent role as an iJAG Program Manager where she learned the ins and outs of the JAG model.
Sierra received her Masters of Arts in Psychological and Quantitative Foundations from the University of Iowa where she specialized in Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences in 2016 while also earning her Certificate in Online Teaching. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2014 from the University of Iowa as well. Once a Hawkeye, always a Hawkeye!
As a self-proclaimed life-long-learner, Sierra enjoys reading, exploring, eating her way through Des Moines, and spending time with friends, family, and her two furry fellas Axel and Ziggy.