Alumni
Since our founding, it is our goal that in partnership with Aspire students, families, and teammates, we prepare and empower scholars to explore and select post-secondary programs that align with their passions and culminate with a smooth transition to a career of their choosing.
Did you know?
Aspire alumni are nearly 3x more likely to earn a college degree than the national average for low-income students.
Over 180 Colleges are attended by our Alumni!
Many Aspire scholars earn an associate degree by the time they graduate high school, and our alumni tell us the early college courses they took while at Aspire were the best preparation for what college is really like.
“At Aspire, I was able to navigate higher education systems in a low-stakes environment. This gave me the confidence to know that I could be successful at a four-year college. I was excited to start my college experience at UC Berkeley because I knew I would be prepared to manage the academic rigors of college since I had experienced it through
the Early College Program at my high school.” – Alexia Puerta Cordova, Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy alumna, Class of 2022, UC Berkeley ’24
Our process:
Aspire Specific Scholarships
Our alumni have shared yearly that finances are the number one concern when persisting in college. Aspire has offered over 40 scholarships so scholars can continue to focus on their education.
Changing the Odds – Created in 2009 to honor Aspire’s founder, Don Shalvey, the award recognizes alumni who – like Don – are the first in their families to graduate from college, and give back to their communities. Three winners are selected each year across our three regions.
Alumni Spotlight
We’re proud to say our scholars come back to serve the community in various capacities. Learn more about what our alumni have accomplished and what they are up to now by visiting our Aspire Alumni social media on Facebook and Instagram as well as past media spotlights here.
To learn more about our post-secondary programming, please contact Luangchee Xiong (Lu-won-see Zong) for questions about the Central Valley, Ivonne Polanco for questions about Los Angeles, or Valerie Estrella for questions about the Bay Area.
Variable Content
Past recipients of the Don Shalvey Changing the Odds Award:
2023
- Dariana Lopez – Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy, Huntington Park, CA
- Eunique Tucker – Aspire Richmond California College Preparatory Academy, Richmond, CA
- Belen Naranjo – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
2022
- Bibiana Cardoso – Aspire Richmond California College Preparatory Academy, Richmond, CA
- Sara Lopez – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
- Wendy Sanchez – Aspire Pacific Academy, Huntington Park, CA
2021
- San Juana Deloa – Aspire Pacific Academy, Huntington Park, CA
- Melissa Medina – Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy, Modesto, CA
- Juan Bolanos – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2020
- Ernesto Diaz – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
- Alondra Gonzalez – Aspire Pacific Academy, Huntington Park, CA
- Samuel Renfrow – Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy, Modesto, CA
2018
- Carlene Ervin – Aspire California College Preparatory Academy, Berkeley, CA
- Malik Flourney-Hooker – Aspire Langston Hughes Academy, Stockton, CA
- Gisell Alvarez – Aspire Pacific Academy, Huntington Park, CA
2017
- Carla Hernandez – Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, East Palo Alto, CA
- Nicole Segura – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
- Jazmin Guerrero – Aspire Pacific Academy, Huntington Park, CA
2016
- Xavier Taylor – Aspire California College Preparatory Academy, Berkeley, CA
- Shane Hong – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
2015
- Jocelyn Cachux – Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, East Palo Alto, CA*
- Hong Van Nguyen – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
2014:
- Jessica Beas – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
- Elsa Casanova – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2013:
- Sarah Blankenship – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
- Rena Stone – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2012:
- Joshua Callejas – Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Stockton, CA
- Brenda Membreno – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2011: Carolina Hernandez – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2010: Allison Bell – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA
2009: Darryl Brumfield – Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, CA