Celebrating Our 2026 Don Shalvey Award Winners

The Don Shalvey: Changing the Odds Award honors graduates who exemplify Aspire’s mission through community impact, perseverance, and purpose. Named after Aspire’s founder, this award uplifts alumni who continue to lead with heart, committed to both their post-secondary dreams and giving back to their community. This year’s awardees reflect the power of full-circle impact — each who have returned to the classroom to serve the same kind of students and communities that shaped them.

Samantha Alvarez Vega – Aspire Monarch Academy Alumna
Samantha Alvarez Vega’s path back to Aspire Monarch Academy has been a full-circle journey rooted in purpose. She earned her Master’s in Education with a multiple subject teaching credential through the Alder Graduate School of Education residency program, based at Monarch Academy. At this very school, her passion for education first took root as a little girl. Today, Samantha teaches 3rd grade at that same school, giving back every day to the community that helped ground her in who she is. By teaching students from backgrounds similar to hers, she strives to represent her people and provide a safe space for bilingual families.

Adyline Garcia – Aspire Pacific Academy Alumna
After graduating from Aspire Pacific Academy, Adyline Garcia attended Cal State LA, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and a minor in Finance. That foundation now shapes the work she does in education every day. Grateful for everything Aspire gave her, Adyline is honored to give back by supporting the next generation of students — creating meaningful opportunities and engaging learning experiences that she hopes will leave students with the same appreciation and joy for their school years that she carries as an Aspire alumna.

Emily Zizzo – Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy Alumna
Emily Zizzo attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education, and gained hands-on experience through an internship with The Walt Disney Company. She later moved back to her hometown, where she now teaches dance, sharing her passion with her students, traveling abroad with the Aspire Vanguard community, and staying close to the friends and family who shaped her along the way.

These outstanding alumni continue to reflect Aspire’s mission in action, showing what’s possible when education, community, and leadership intersect. We are thrilled to celebrate their stories!