Mary Alvarez-Jackson teaches third grade at Yavapai Elementary School
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Earlier this year, Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel was named the first recipient of the Education Research and Development Institute’s Resilient Leader Award.
The newly established award recognizes K-12 leaders who demonstrate exceptional courage and effective leadership amidst adversity, according to a press release.
As part of the award, Dr. Menzel was granted a full-ride, master’s level scholarship at the American College of Education to bestow upon an emerging Scottsdale Unified School District leader, the release states.
In return, the scholarship’s recipient commits to work in the district for a minimum of three years following the master’s degree’s completion.
“We are thrilled to announce that the inaugural winner of the ERDI Resilient Leader Scholarship is Mary Alvarez-Jackson, a dedicated, third grade teacher at Yavapai Elementary School in the Coronado Learning Community,” Dr. Menzel said in a prepared statement. “This recognition not only honors Mary’s dedication and hard work, but truly embodies the spirit of resilience and leadership that our district values.”
Ms. Alvarez-Jackson began her SUSD career at Tavan Elementary School in 2018.
As a first-generation college graduate, she is passionate about empowering and inspiring others to dream big, writing in her scholarship application that “it is never too late to further your education, learn more, and create an even greater impact.”
Ms. Alvarez-Jackson’s journey so far has been marked by great resilience and determination in overcoming tremendous adversity. Despite facing overwhelming challenges brought about by her father’s death when she was 10 years old, losing family members to cancer, recently surviving breast cancer herself, and paying off undergraduate student loans, she has remained committed to pursuing her master’s degree.
“I know from experience that life is sometimes an uphill battle,” Ms. Alvarez-Jackson opined. “But I also know that you can remain positive, create impact, be compassionate, grow in ways you never thought possible, and thrive even in the hard times.”
Yavapai Elementary Principal Kelley Perry knows the perseverance of Ms. Alvarez-Jackson firsthand.
“Mary returned to school in the fall of 2023, clearly still working through the challenges of recovery and enduring both physical and emotional challenges, personally and professionally.”
“I know there were times when she felt overwhelmed and frustrated, and some days she even considered resigning. However, instead of letting these challenges defeat her, Mary invested in self-care and building a positive mindset. Her story exemplifies resilience, making her an exceedingly deserving recipient of this first-ever Resilient Leader Scholarship.”
