NE Valley Times

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 6, 2024) – Earlier this year, Scottsdale Unified School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Scott Menzel, was named the first recipient of the Education Research and Development Institute’s (ERDI) Resilient Leader Award. The newly established award recognizes K-12 leaders who demonstrate exceptional courage and effective leadership amidst adversity. 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 (SUSD) leader. In return, the scholarship’s recipient commits to work in the district for a minimum of three years following the master’s degree 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,” Menzel stated. “This recognition not only honors Mary’s dedication and hard work but truly embodies the spirit of resilience and leadership that our district values.”

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."

Alvarez-Jackson's journey 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," 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 hard times.”

“These challenges,” she declared, “have only fueled my passion for providing stability, goals, and growth for all my past, current, and future students."

"Mary returned to school in the fall of 2023," added Yavapai Elementary Principal Kelley Perry. “Clearly still working through recovery challenges both physical and emotional.” Perry continued: “I know there were times when she felt overwhelmed and frustrated; some days she even considered resigning.” However,” Perry continued,“ 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."

“We are immensely proud to support Mary’s journey as she pursues a master’s degree,” Menzel concluded.

The SUSD Governing Board will formally congratulate Alvarez-Jackson at its June 11 meeting.

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