For the third consecutive year, Curriculum Associates has partnered with the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) to provide $12,000 in scholarship funds to help two aspiring Latino administrators earn advanced degrees in education. Through Curriculum Associates’ sponsorship, Debora Borges-Carrera of the School District of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA will receive $10,000, and Eugene Figueroa of Validus Preparatory Academy in Bronx, NY will receive $2,000.
“Leadership and education are crucial factors that impact the Latino community across this country. Through these generous scholarships provided by our partners at Curriculum Associates, we're able to build greater leadership capacity among Latino educators,” said Nancy Lewin, executive director of ALAS. "Both Debora and Eugene are dedicated education professionals, and these scholarships will elevate the positive impact in the communities in which they lead and serve."
Borges-Carrera is the assistant superintendent of Neighborhood Network One in the School District of Philadelphia. She received a Bachelor of Science in Early and Elementary Education from Temple University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from St. Joseph’s University, and she is currently pursuing her doctorate at Gwynedd Mercy University. She also recently completed the Superintendents Leadership Academy from the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS SLA). Borges-Carrera, who began her career as a teacher, has successfully advanced through the School District of Philadelphia as an assistant principal, principal, and now assistant superintendent.
“Receiving the scholarship from ALAS and Curriculum Associates is an honor and truly humbling. This scholarship is validation that there is a greater community of partners who are vested in the growth of Latino leaders and are committed to ensuring our Latino students have the most effective advocates for their education,” said Borges-Carrera. “I am grateful to have been selected and accept the responsibility to best serve my community that comes with earning my doctorate from Gwynedd Mercy University.”
Figueroa, the assistant principal of Validus Preparatory Academy, is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. His 25-year career has been focused on human services initiatives, correctional counseling with an emphasis on juvenile delinquency prevention, and education, all with a dedication to serving at-risk Latino youth in urban communities. Figueroa has worked for the New York City Department of Education as a bilingual special education teacher and dean and has obtained four master’s degrees throughout his career.
