Breakthrough Collaborative
Alex Serna, M.Ed has a diverse range of work experience in the education sector. They have served as a Chief Program Officer at Breakthrough Collaborative, where they led and developed a national team focused on improving educational outcomes for underrepresented students. They also worked as a Strategy and Development Consultant at Urban Ed Academy, expanding partnerships and fundraising initiatives to ensure access to Black male teachers in San Francisco schools.
Prior to that, Alex served as the Executive Director and Program Director at Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, where they implemented high-quality educational programs and oversaw a transition to virtual programming during the pandemic. They also worked as an Instructional Coach, focusing on curriculum development and teacher training in Social Studies education.
Earlier in their career, Alex held roles at the National Council of La Raza and the Youth Policy Institute, coordinating and leading projects focused on workforce development and academic programs for youth.
Alex's work experience also includes a role as a Student Teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where they developed comprehensive lesson plans and managed classrooms for middle and high school students. They also participated in an internship program at Phillips Academy, focusing on advanced academic pursuits in education, humanities, and social sciences.
Alex Serna, M.Ed, graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies and Social Policy. Following that, from 2011 to 2013, they attended UCLA and obtained a Master of Education degree in Urban Education. In 2018, Alex completed the College Advising Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The following year, in 2019, they completed the altMBA program. In 2020, Alex participated in the Octane Non-Profit Accelerator Program, where they focused on Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, and Leadership Development. Prior to their university education, Alex studied at Santa Ana College from 2006 to 2009, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. Additionally, they hold a CA Preliminary Secondary Social Studies Teaching Credential obtained in an undisclosed year and month.
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Breakthrough Collaborative
Breakthrough Collaborative pursues a dual mission to: 1. Increase academic opportunity for highly motivated, underserved students and get them into college ready to succeed; and 2. Inspire and develop the next generation of teachers and educational leaders. Our vision is to create an empowering educational experience that results in equitable access to higher education for our students and prepares our teaching fellows for education sector roles, enabling all of our students, teaching fellows, and instructional coaches to achieve their full potential as learners, teachers, leaders, and agents of change in their communities. Breakthrough has been improving educational outcomes for young people since 1978, with the establishment of a single site at University High School in San Francisco. Over the next 20 years, Breakthrough grew to a collective of independent sites across the country. Today, the Breakthrough national office located in Oakland, CA serves a collaborative network of 24 Breakthrough affiliates throughout the U.S. by providing program standards and resources including curricula, evaluation tools, and teaching fellow recruitment. Breakthrough affiliates carry out direct services to middle- and high school students from under-resourced communities, college undergraduates serve as teaching fellows, and professional teachers serve as instructional coaches in their localities.