Celeste Barretto Milligan

Celeste Barretto Milligan is a seasoned educator, systems leader, and community advocate based in Houston, Texas. With nearly two decades of experience spanning teaching, coaching, and executive leadership, Celeste’s work is guided by her identity as the daughter of an immigrant, a first-generation college graduate, and a fierce champion for public education. She spent 17 years working in Title I schools as a teacher, campus and district leader, and now brings her expertise to national and regional initiatives that reimagine educational access and equity.

Currently, Celeste serves as Deputy Director of Student Impact at Digital Promise, where she leads a team supporting the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program—reaching over 600,000 students across the country. She also works as an executive coach with The Holdsworth Center, guiding district and school leaders in Texas and New Mexico. Known for her systems thinking and heart-forward approach, Celeste designs and refines structures that remove barriers and open doors for young people, especially in historically underserved communities.

As a Fellow, Celeste is excited to deepen her own healing and to engage with a community of leaders committed to building liberatory pathways for students and educators alike. She brings to the Fellowship a wealth of practical insight, policy fluency, and deep love for people and place. At the center of all her work is a belief in the power of equity, art, and community—and a vision for a future where every child has access to a life of creativity, purpose, and joy.