June 18, 2025

By Louis Huler

Lawrence Camacho, EdD '19, a School of Education graduate and former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, has had no shortage of success in his long career. His path in education led him through 4 different universities, around the world in the armed services, and now all the way to the Pacific island Guam. The newest chapter of his professional life sees him at the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System, where he now serves as the Commissioner of Education.

Dr. Camacho’s achievement is the result of decades of hard work, including at Drexel, where he spent years as Chair of the of Military Science Department and leader of the University’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, all while obtaining his EdD. He also served as a Battalion Commander in the U.S. Army, where he spent time in places like Bosnia, Egypt, and Iraq.

Camacho reflects on his time at Drexel with a sense of accomplishment, and as an important launching pad for his eventual position in Guam. “My time at Drexel and the lessons I learned, along with the degree I obtained, are making such an impact on my career in the world of education.”

On his EdD experience, the former instructor learned how to be an effective leader and applied the lessons learned through his coursework to his career. “The School of Education helped me understand my role as an educational leader who could drive the direction of an entire school district and state agency. I was able to demonstrate to my key management team various concepts, models, and strategic frameworks which have been immensely integral to the advancement of our entire school district and state-level management,” he said.

The educational experiences he received both at Drexel and in the field have proved very worthwhile. Camacho’s unique career path- from school to the army and back again, required extreme focus. He thinks back on one lesson in particular that shaped his experience. “I enjoyed the lessons of Otto Scharmer's Theory U from one of my leadership classes at Drexel--it made me reflect on my international work and it made a lot of sense.” He recalls. “I continue to use the model, and I even teach many of my colleagues and subordinates the important principles articulated in the concept,” he said.

His current position as Commissioner of Education brought him all the way to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, where he resides over the school system and advocates for educational policy. Camacho remains dedicated to his mission: “Providing quality education in the learning spaces and to see growth and development of our students.”

Lawrence Camacho’s work, both while at Drexel and in the years following, has been exemplary of not just discipline and focus, but how to take an education degree and real-life experiences, and turn them into a fruitful career.