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In May, we celebrated graduation season with our annual celebration event, Step Up. Each year, our 8th grade and 12 grade Scholars and their families gather to recognize and commemorate the hard work of the students and the unwavering support of their families.

Congratulations to our 8th and 12th grade Scholars as they get ready to take their next academic steps into high school and college!

(Summer 2026) – Daniel Montejano, a SMART Scholar and graduating senior from Stuart Hall High School, has been hustling before he could do long division. As the oldest of three children born to parents who crossed la frontera in search of the American Dream, Daniel was raised on two core principles: an unyielding curiosity and a strong work ethic. This year, guests at SMART’s annual fundraising event had the privilege of hearing him share his journey as the evening’s keynote speaker.
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A huge thank you to everyone who took part in SMART Goes to College 2026! Your generosity continues to drive our mission of helping every student succeed on their path to and through college.
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(Winter 2026) – We spoke with Laticia Erving, a lifelong educator and leader in the San Francisco Unified School District, where she serves as Executive Director of the African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI). For more than 25 years, she has dedicated her career to advancing equity, strengthening family and community partnerships, and ensuring that San Francisco’s most underserved students not only succeed, but thrive.
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(Fall 2025) – We’re excited to be speaking with Teresa Arriaga, who joined SMART this summer as our new Executive Director. Teresa has devoted her career to helping students and families from low-income households reach their potential through education. Teresa’s previous work experience includes launching Coro Northern California’s youth leadership programs and serving at the University of California, Berkeley for a decade, where she led the Early Academic Outreach Program – a systemwide effort that supports first generation middle and high school students in their journey to college. Most recently, Teresa led Springboard Collaborative’s Western region. She earned her M.P.A from San Francisco State University and her B.A. in English and Political Science from Saint Mary’s College of California.
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(Summer 2025) – Pedro, a graduating senior from San Francisco University High School, has always charted his own path with resilience, pride, and passion. As a trilingual student fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English—and someone whose first word was “tortilla”—Pedro brings humor and heart to everything he does. This year, guests had the distinct honor of listening to him as SMART’s keynote speaker at our annual fundraising event, sharing his inspiring journey with our community.
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(Spring 2025) – We’re speaking with Mayra Nayeli Martín, SMART’s Senior Director of Programs, and Mary Thomas, SMART’s Senior Director of Training and Evaluation, who will be facilitating a workshop at the upcoming National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA) conference. NPEA elevates and amplifies a broad coalition of voices committed to educational access for students from under-resourced communities, kindergarten through college. In 2024, SMART received the national “Excellence in Educational Access” award from NPEA and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, affirming our commitment to ensuring all students, regardless of background, have equitable pathways to college.
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Adriel (left) and Max (right)
(Winter 2025) – Adriel, an 11th grade SMART Scholar currently attending the Bay School SF, hopes to pursue a career in business, following in his parents’ footsteps. His parents run a street vending business in the Mission District, selling handmade Ecuadorian jackets, scarves, and other goods. When San Francisco issued a street vendor moratorium, Adriel and his family immediately felt the effects.

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(Summer 2024) – Diego Miller, a recent graduate of Lowell High School, embodies the essence of a well-rounded individual. He’s not only a sports enthusiast with a love for soccer and football but also an anime aficionado who finds joy in exploring diverse interests. Academically inclined, Diego excels in writing-based subjects like English and History, while tackling math with determination and resilience.
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(Winter 2024) – Tianlee Chu, a San Francisco native, believes that “tutoring forges a positive mutual brain connection unlike almost anything else in the world. When two people work together to learn challenging subjects, they have to listen and respond actively to one another, and be willing to be vulnerable.”

Tianlee discovered his passion for teaching while navigating his own academic challenges in college. Determined to assist others in harnessing their high school’s resources and overcoming obstacles on the way to college, he found his way to SMART in 2020. Drawn by the community and chance to make a meaningful impact in education, Tianlee embraced the opportunity to volunteer.
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