Alex Serna never envisioned having a career in education someday while gambling for quarters in the back of high school Geometry class growing up in a low-income neighborhood in Anaheim, CA. He graduated high school with a 2.1 GPA, never applied to college, and was planning to enlist in the military. That was until he learned at 17 that he was going to be a father. That’s when Alex enrolled at Santa Ana College, transferring to UC Berkeley, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies. The first-generation college grad went on to earn his Master’s degree in Urban Education and secondary social studies teaching credential from UCLA, all while raising four daughters with his partner before turning 25.

Today, he is the Chief Operating Officer at the Breakthrough Collaborative. Alex previously served as Chief Program Officer at Breakthrough Collaborative. For almost eight years, Alex served as the Executive Director and before that Program Director of Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano. There he led the program’s expansion into college, tripled the number of students being served, and grew their endowment to over 1 million dollars.

He supports national initiatives in education, having served on the Millennial Commission on Education as a Senior Fellow, where he helped develop key policy recommendations in the advancement of education reform. He is a Ricardo Salinas Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a 2017 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Emerging Leader.

Alex volunteers his time on advisory boards such as the University of California, Irvine’s School of Social Ecology Field Study Program, nonprofits like the Wellness and Prevention Center, and the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund.

He also serves as an expert on college access and educational policy. He has been featured in The New York Times, EdSurge, Washington Post, The Hill,  Diverse Issues in Higher Education, The Hechinger Report, and NACAC’s Journal of College Admissions.

He believes passionately in the power of education and its potential to change lives, just like it transformed his. He lives in San Diego with his high school sweetheart and four daughters.

Christina brings 18 years of experience in education to her role as Chief of Staff at Breakthrough, where she partners closely with the CEO to sharpen organizational priorities, strengthen decision-making and ensure that strategy translates into clear, coordinated execution across Breakthrough’s national network.

As a former classroom teacher, she has long been driven by a committed belief in the power of education and lifelong learning. In 2013, she experienced her first of many Breakthrough Summerbridge summers, as an Instructional Coach and later as Director of Programming and Instruction. She witnessed, firsthand, the way Breakthrough helped to transform the lives of generations of young people.

Christina earned her bachelor’s in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and earned both her teaching credential in English and master’s in Education from Dominican University. Her master’s thesis examined the experiences of African-American teachers in public schools, including some of the inadvertently-negative effects of Brown v. Board of Education on what was a robust and thriving population of Black educators — work that gives her a deep, personal connection to Breakthrough’s teacher pipeline goals and makes her a dedicated champion of educational equity for students, educators and families.

She lives just outside of her native San Francisco, with her husband and their two pets — a dog and a cat with big personalities. “We Got Spirit!” remains Christina’s favorite Breakthrough cheer. And, to this day, she can’t complete an entire Spirit Check.

Jane joins the Breakthrough team bringing a background in community organizing and development. Jane spent seven years providing training and support to AmeriCorps programs throughout Florida with the state commission and is passionate about the power of national service. After receiving a BA in Psychology from Appalachian State University and an MSSW from UT, Austin, Jane spent several years in Guatemala as the Director of Community Engagement for De La Gente, an NGO supporting coffee-farming cooperatives. Her experience planning and leading service learning trips and other community tourism and volunteer opportunities ignited her passion for service and her commitment to making it an opportunity available for everyone. Jane recently received a graduate certificate in restorative practice, the science of how communities and relationships are formed, maintained, and repaired after harm.  Jane is a huge fan of the performing arts and can often be found with her two kids in spontaneous dance routines and musical theatre numbers, with her husband a captive audience.

Mara is a connector and problem-solver committed to making impactful education available to all. She is thoroughly delighted to be part of Breakthrough Collaborative. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mara attended Kenyon College (BA 2004, Anthropology and Art History) and Indiana University (MA 2012, Anthropology). Prior to joining Breakthrough Collaborative, Mara worked in advancement for Indiana University Libraries. Next to librarians and archivists, teachers are Mara’s favorite colleagues to work with because they are innovative, thoughtful, and kind. In addition, Mara’s mother, Lenore, was an elementary school teacher whose fierce commitment to her students’ success changed many lives. Mara lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her family. Outside of work, Mara volunteers at the People’s Cooperative Market where she helps build resilient communities, plays with dirt and plants, and feeds people.

Sara holds a passion for expanding access to educational opportunities and positive out-of-school time for youth in their communities. As an only child of a single mother, both a strong education system accompanied by supportive out-of-school time activities facilitated stability and success in her life. It is no wonder why Breakthrough resonates so strongly for her. Sara began her career in elementary education, found she wanted to explore her creative side and became a hairstylist, then transitioned into the world of not-for-profits. Sara joins Breakthrough Collaborative with over five years of experience at Breakthrough Miami, having been a program site director as well as data & compliance coordinator. Her primary goals as Senior Salesforce Manager are to support and engage affiliates and the Collaborative with their use and success of the Breakthrough Starter Pack (BTSP) so that everyone can win in their mission to expand access to educational opportunities. Outside of the office, Sara enjoys taking in the Miami sunshine, eating tacos, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Phyllis serves as Managing Director of Program Strategy at Breakthrough Collaborative, leading national efforts focused on program growth, expansion, and alumni engagement. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to creating pathways to post-secondary success for traditionally underrepresented students and developing the next generation of educators and leaders.

During her 14 years with Breakthrough, Phyllis has held multiple leadership roles across the network, including seven years at the National Office and seven years as the High School Program Director at Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia. A former teacher, she is passionate about building transformative opportunities for students, teaching fellows, and alumni alike.

Phyllis holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a master’s degree in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her family in the Philadelphia area.

Linda began her work with Breakthrough as a Teaching Fellow for Breakthrough Central Texas. The work she did in those two summers solidified her desire and passion for education. Once Linda earned her B.A. in Mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em) she began her teaching journey back home in Houston, TX. Although teaching AP Calculus was a rewarding experience, her true happiness came from spending multiple Summers as an Instructional Coach for Breakthrough Houston. She later transitioned to Program Director for their founding St. John’s School site. Breakthrough has truly grown Linda and shaped her throughout the years, pushing her to earn her Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Leadership with the goal of bringing the culture and progressiveness of Breakthrough to more communities. Aside from Breakthrough Linda is a wife, mother to two amazing children, loves traveling, and a good brunch. If you have ANY good brunch spots, please don’t hesitate to share them with her.

Sam is a former Breakthrough program director and teaching fellow and is passionate about the Collaborative’s dual mission of serving highly motivated, traditionally underserved students to achieve post-secondary success while simultaneously equipping aspiring leaders to enter the education workforce. She started her career in education as a Fulbright ETA in Indonesia, where she taught 10th grade English for 2 years. Following this, she served as Director of College Access and Completion for Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, where for 5 years she leveraged relationship-building and robust, data-driven programming to provide college and financial aid counseling. Sam also has experience as an educational consultant, where she worked with organizations to help them develop their college access programs, and provided college counseling services to high school students and families across the US and internationally. Currently, as College Access and Success Manager at Breakthrough’s National Office, Sam enjoys working with fantastic Breakthrough colleagues to develop tools, resources, and strategies to amplify our collective impact for students.

Tieler Giles joins Breakthrough Collaborative with more than 15 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations effectively reach, engage, and drive audiences to action. Her work has advanced such issues as education, youth development, women’s health, and civil and human rights. Most recently, Tieler was Associate Director of Marketing & Communications at Girls Inc., where she led strategies to increase brand awareness and strengthen the organization’s reputation and thought leadership. In previous roles, Tieler inspired change as a marketer, fundraiser, and campaigner at the Drug Policy Alliance, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and Porter Novelli. A proud HBCU alumna, Tieler is a graduate of Florida A&M University and holds a master’s degree in communications from the University of Georgia. She is the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of educators and believes in the power of education to transform lives and communities. A native of South Carolina, Tieler currently resides in Charlotte where she can be found enjoying the city’s best parks, plant-based fare, and spending time with family.

Natalie first started with Breakthrough as a Teaching Fellow in Cincinnati, OH. With a background in undergraduate admissions, Natalie joined the National Office team in March 2020 to support Teaching Fellow recruitment. Today, Natalie works with Breakthrough Fellows from application to alumni-hood, overseeing onboarding, the fellowship experience, and connecting alumni with partner organizations and resources. Natalie received her Bachelor of Science in Education from Butler University. Outside of work, you can find Natalie at a local sporting event, cooking with her husband, reading, and practicing yoga.

As an undergraduate student, I spent two summers as a Teaching Fellow at Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, where I was inspired by Breakthrough’s commitment to inclusivity and educational equity. I then completed my Master’s degree in English Literature at Tulane University, and went on to teach at a Montessori preschool in Austin, TX. Most recently, I worked as a Media Editor at Macmillan Learning, developing educational content, and using research and data to inform content decisions that impact students nationwide. Outside of work, I enjoy drawing, trying new vegetarian recipes, and catching up with my local book club.

Daryl comes to Breakthrough with over 20 years of not-for-profit experience. Most recently serving as the Development Director for the ALS Association where he managed a team of fundraisers, established relationships with corporate and individual donors and engaged leadership volunteers in the mission of the organization. Daryl has served many roles in his career, primarily in the corporate and major gift capacity, where his focus was on securing six figure gifts. Daryl is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and lives in Houston, Texas. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, camping and fishing with his wife Jodie, who is a teacher, and three children.

Ambler brings a breadth of experience to Breakthrough across her 15 years in the education sector. Most recently, Ambler was a Portfolio Manager at Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, where her focus was teacher preparation and she helped build the education grantmaking team. Her career began as a Teach For America corps member in New Orleans, where she was part of a team that founded two KIPP schools in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Ambler then joined Teach For All, where she supported programs in the early stages of adapting the Teach For All model to their local contexts and shared lessons learned across the global network. Subsequently, she was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow and appointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she led performance management and managed a portfolio of grant programs across three states and two international partners. Ambler graduated from Goucher College with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and earned a Master’s degree in International Education from George Washington University. Ambler loves exploring the beautiful outdoors around Oakland with her former co-teacher husband and their adventurous 6-year-old.

Kylie joins Breakthrough Collaborative with decades of personal and professional experience in the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about donor data, fundraising, and education. As a young teen, Kylie organized many fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where her love for nonprofits began. Prior to coming on board with Breakthrough Collaborative, she acted as the Assistant Director of Donor Relations for the University of Central Florida, helping donors feel more connected to the University. Kylie achieved her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor’s in English from the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania — where she was born and raised. Kylie enjoys collecting shark teeth on the beaches of Florida while soaking up the sun with her two dogs, Daphne and Lily, and her rabbit Willow.

Tori comes to Breakthrough with a decade of experience in the world of youth-focused nonprofits. She is passionate about clean and accurate data, programs that serve young people, and, most importantly, the intersection between the two. Prior to Breakthrough, she spent four years as a Program Manager at Just-a-Start YouthBuild in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she split her time between direct service and data management/reporting. She has her BA in Child Development and Peace and Justice Studies from Tufts University, and her M.Ed. in Prevention Science and Practice from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tori lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she enjoys hiking, visiting the local beaches, and seeking out the perfect cup of coffee.

Jenny is a researcher and former educator with a commitment to expanding access to educational opportunities. She developed a passion for education through her experiences as a Teaching Fellow at Breakthrough New York and taught Kindergarten and first grade in the Bay Area through Teach For America. She also has a range of research experiences in higher education, notably in religion and child discipline. Her four years as a teacher as well as her personal experience navigating the education system inform her dedication to human-centered evaluation. Jenny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and an elementary teaching credential from Pepperdine University, as well as a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University. Outside of work, she enjoys painting and taking care of her many plants.

Kristi brings over 12 years of nonprofit accounting experience, having most recently served as Controller for both The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford and University of California, Davis Foundation, where she was responsible for leading all accounting functions, including revamping procedures and strengthening controls. In addition, Kristi spent 5 years as an auditor specializing in nonprofits and government entities. Kristi is a Certified Public Accountant with a B.A. in Business Administration & Management from Eastern Connecticut State University. She is passionate about expanding educational opportunities, inspired by her own journey through affordable local community colleges. Kristi lives in CT with her spouse and daughter and enjoys spending time with her family playing board games, swimming, hiking in the woods, and theater.